Unmasked
by Jaguarin
Summary: Catwoman returns to New Gotham... Complete
1. Unmasked

PRESENT.  
  
The grill of the air conditioner moved. A pair of hands took it off. A thin shadow jumped from the air duct to the floor. It was a dark room, a cashier office of a casino. She was dressed totally in black and wore a mask. She kneeled on the floor looking around. All was silent. There was a bookshelf over one of the walls, a desk with a big chair turned in the other side, and some shelves with boxes on the front wall.  
  
She walked to the safety box and put a bag with tools, that she had in her back on the floor. She worked on the box for several minutes. Finally she opened the door, she was sweating, it was too hot there. She froze when saw the safety box empty, she began to look in the selves inside it but it only had papers.  
  
"Shit!" she mumbled in through her teeth and threw the papers to the floor. Suddenly the light turned on, she was dazzled.  
  
"Are you searching for the money?" The chair next to the desk turned around, Dinah sat there with her hands crossed in front. "Sorry, It's not here, I took it to a safe place." Now, the blonde girl could see her clearly, that woman wore the Catwoman costume. "Who are you?"  
  
"Where is the money?" The Catwoman looked her angry.  
  
"I asked first, why are you wearing that costume?" Dinah stood up.  
  
"Bitch! Tell me where's the money!" The Catwoman walked toward, her fists in balls.  
  
"No, not until you explain to me first who you are!"  
  
Catwoman threw a Dinah at punch. The blond girl avoided it and hit her with her fist. Catwoman turned around and kicked her. Dinah smashed against the bookcase, several books fell to the floor. Huntress punched her in the face again and then in the stomach. Dinah pushed her back with her feet and she crashed against the desk.  
  
"You are going to die you stupid son of a bitch!" Catwoman put her hands around her throat and pressed hard. Dinah took her wrist with her hands trying to release her grip but she was too strong, she locked her eyes in hers. Catwoman felt something strange when she saw her blue pupils. She blinked disconcertedly. Dinah noticed her confusion and took out an electric gun that she had in her pocket and shot her. Catwoman groaned in pain and released her falling heavily to the floor.  
  
Dinah put her hand on her throat and looked her. Catwoman lay on the floor and moved her head slowly, her eyes rolled back and she passed out.  
  
"Uh." Dinah breathed with relief "she almost killed me..."  
  
::Are you all right?:: Barbara asked.  
  
"Yes." Dinah leaned over the unconscious woman. "She hits like a mule"  
  
::Who is she?::  
  
Dinah's heart was beating fast, she took the mask carefully off. When she saw her face, she couldn't say a word, shocked.  
  
:: Dinah?:: Barbara's voice took her off her surprise. ::Dinah are you alright?::  
  
"Barbara." Dinah mumbled "I found Huntress."  
  
* * *  
  
In the Clocktower, Barbara kept silent. She put her hands to her face and smiled, her feelings were correct. She breathed a sigh of relief. Huntress was alive, but something had happened to her. She didn't understand why Huntress was acting like her mother and why she was using her costume.  
  
::Oracle?:: Dinah's voice brought Barbara back from her thoughts  
  
"Bring her back, but put her in handcuffs first." Barbara finally replied. 


	2. Close encounters of third kind

THREE WEEKS AGO..  
  
Helena finished her work at The Dark House Bar. She took a bath and went outside in her dark clothes. She jumped over a building. It was a relief to be away from the noise and the smell of cigarettes. She began to race across the rooftops and jumped down in an alley a few blocks from the Clock Tower. She glanced at her watch, that was a very good time. She walked distractedly in the street. Surely it would be another regular night, which would be great because she felt a little tired and she wanted to go to bed early.  
  
Suddenly her meta senses turned on, her eyes changed; she looked to her left. On the other side of the sidewalk, inside a store, a man was pointing a gun at the owner. She smiled.  
  
The thief filled his pockets with money and stepped back, he turned to run and he found a fist in his face, he fell backwards.  
  
"Hey, you have very bad manners, you must learn to be polite." Huntress took the gun and threw it to the owner. "Call the police."  
  
The man moved quickly, he took a knife and threw it at her. Huntress turned her body to the side and the knife ripped the border of her long coat. She looked at him, pissed, and lifted him by his throat with one hand.  
  
"That could cost you your life!" she said angrily "Don't do it again or you'll find yourself in an early grave, and not in jail. Got it?"  
  
"Yes." he mumbled scared of the girl's strength.  
  
She threw him against some shelves. "Don't let him go." Huntress said to the owner store, who pointed the gun at him.  
  
Huntress examined her coat, maybe it could be fixed with a few stitches, this was the part that she hated about the job. She walked out of the store. "Don't move!" she heard a voice and raised her head. A young policeman was pointing at her with a gun, he trembled.  
  
"Now what?" she asked, rolling her eyes.  
  
"Raise your hands."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I saw you attacking that man!"  
  
"That man is a thief, ask the owner, I helped him."  
  
"You can't fool me!" he exclaimed and took off his handcuffs. "Down!"  
  
"Hey, are you listening to me? He's the thief, go and arrest him." Huntress stepped towards him and he shot his gun. She ducked to avoid the shot, it broke the glass of the store. She looked him angrily. The only thing worse than a thief was a young, inexperienced policeman with a gun.  
  
"Are you nuts?" she shouted lying in the floor. "Be careful!"  
  
"Put you hands over your head or I'll shoot you!"  
  
"The thief is inside the store! Ask the owner!" she repeated angrily.  
  
"I saw you hitting him, I called my partners, don't move!" the gun trembled in the rookie's hands. She avoided moving, that young man would shoot, he was so scared.  
  
"Would you please listen to me?" Huntress said trying to sound calm.  
  
::Huntress it's late, where are you?:: she heard Oracle's voice in her mic.  
  
"Trouble."  
  
"Put your hands over your head!" the policeman screamed.  
  
"Ok, ok." Huntress obeyed. "But why don't you ask the owner first?"  
  
"Don't tell me what to do!"  
  
::What's happening?:: Oracle asked, listening to the conversation.  
  
"A rookie cop is pointing a gun at me."  
  
"Shut up!" he shouted at her. "Don't talk!"  
  
::What is going on?:: Oracle asked worried.  
  
He carefully walked near her. Huntress didn't move, he was too nervous and he surely would shoot her. She was waiting for the best moment to get his gun when she heard two cars screech to a stop in front of the sidewalk. She raised her eyes. Two patrol cars were there and 5 police men stepped out with their guns out, three entered to the store.  
  
"Oh, no.." She frowned and rested her forehead on the floor. The rookie put the handcuff on her right hand, and he moved her hand down to chain her left hand.  
  
::What's happening Huntress?::  
  
"The police have me."  
  
::What???:: In the Clock Tower, Oracle was surprised with the response. "An stupid policeman confused me with a thief. I stopped a robbery and he pointed a gun at me." Huntress explained. A policeman roughly forced her to stand up, lifting her by the arm. "Be careful you.!"  
  
"Easy girl, let's go" the police took her to the patrol car.  
  
"Wait a minute, I didn't do anything!" she said "I helped that man."  
  
"Yes, always are innocent." the policeman smiled.  
  
"Yes, she helped me." The owner walked out his store.  
  
"I saw her throwing him against the shelves." The young policeman said.  
  
"He was pointing a gun at the old man." Huntress explained. "Is it too hard for you to understand that?"  
  
"And she tried to attack me." the young policeman glared at her.  
  
"What?" Huntress looked him.  
  
"You tried to take me my gun and I shot to stop her. I broke the window glass."  
  
"That's a lie! I just stepped forward and you shot me, stupid!" Huntress faced him and the policeman held her back.  
  
"You tried to attack me!" the young policeman pointed at her.  
  
"You are a liar! I helped you to do your damn work, is it hard to understand for a fool trainee?"  
  
"Don't speak like that, lady." The policeman that held her pressed her arm "It's not good that you attacked an officer."  
  
::Huntress calm down. Don't make it worse:: Oracle said through the mic. She was listening to the entire conversation and trying to figure out what was happening. She looked for Huntress' signal, it was near, a few blocks from the Clock Tower.  
  
"He shot me without reason! I didn't attack him!" Huntress shouted.  
  
"You did. She is a thief." The young policeman said.  
  
She escaped of the grip of the policeman that held her and she kicked him. "Watch what you say, stupid boy!" she shouted.  
  
A policeman held her back again, another came from the front, she kicked him and his partner too. She rolled and made the officer that held her fly against a window. One of the policeman that was on the floor tried to hold her but she hit him in the face with her knee and kicked the second one that tried to stand up.  
  
"Calm down or I'll shoot!" a policeman ordered, pointing at her with his gun. She looked him rabidly and stopped her attack. "If you are innocent you will be released, but I don't think you are, you attacked the police."  
  
"I'm innocent!" she shouted.  
  
"Close your mouth! Take her to the Police Station!"  
  
::I hope you're happy now, you screwed it all again!:: Oracle exclaimed.  
  
"Now everybody go!." The oldest policeman ordered to the owner and the thief.  
  
* * *  
  
"Helena shut up and calm down!" Oracle ordered "Go with them, I'll come get you." She passed her hand over her face. "Damn!"  
  
"What happened?" Dinah entered to the lab. "Where is Huntress? I'm ready."  
  
"She is in trouble, the police arrested her."  
  
"The police what?" Dinah opened her eyes.  
  
"She stopped a robbery and they confused her with a thief, the problem is that one of the guys call her thief and she reacted. as she used to react."  
  
"She is really in trouble now."  
  
"Damn, why couldn't she control her self?"  
  
"Oh, oh. I'll go there." Dinah said.  
  
"No. wait. Stay here, I need to go for her." Barbara took her coat and a briefcase.  
  
"Reese would help us."  
  
"I don't want to involve him on this, at least I'll try first by myself. Keep an eye on Delphi, this is going to be a long night."  
  
"You sure you don't need help?" Dinah asked.  
  
Barbara smiled "Don't worry, it's not the first time that I've had to do this." she wheeled to the elevator.  
  
"Super Barbara to the rescue." Dinah Joked. 


	3. A night in a jail

Huntress was inside a jail cell, there only was a table that was used as a seat. She paced around, really pissed. A fat drunk woman and a prostitute were there. In the next cell, a drugged man, the thief and 3 other thieves were seated in the floor. The smell was awful. She hated that smell, she had been there some times and the smell remembered her many bad moments.  
  
"Where is she?" she asked in the mic to Dinah. "I need go out of here!"  
  
::She is on her way:: Dinah answered ::Just be patient, I heard the report, the policemen are really angry with you.::  
  
"I'm more angry. That stupid thief cut my coat, I helped the police to catch him and they shot me and jailed me!"  
  
::Barbara knows, we heard the police report, and you told her all already:: Dinah said.  
  
"God, I can't believe this!" Huntress put her arm in a wall and rested her forehead on it. Hey eyes were in feral mode and she tried to changed them unsuccessfully, she felt so upset. Was better hide her face to avoid that some one could see her.  
  
The drunk woman looked at the prostitute. "The dove is a nut, talking to herself."  
  
"With that body I could forget anything odd." One of the thieves said.  
  
"Hey dolly, how much for an hour?" the second thief said.  
  
Huntress turned her head. "Watch your mouth, stupid, I'm not in a good mod today."  
  
"Be careful boys " The thief that she had trapped mumbled.  
  
::Huntress it could take a few hours:: Dinah explained ::You are innocent but you attacked the police.::  
  
"I can't believe this!" she hit a bar of the cell with the palm of her hand. Maybe was her fault, but the police called her "thief" and he had shoot her. The trouble followed her.  
  
"Great! I love the rude girls" one of the thieves held the bars and put his face between them. He sent her a kiss. That was all she needed, she smiled and walked toward him.  
  
"What do you want?" she asked.  
  
"A moment of fun."  
  
"Okay."  
  
The man suddenly screamed. She took him by his crotch and lifted him. He could saw her eyes and he felt most scared.  
  
::Huntress!:: Dinah said ::What are you doing?::  
  
"You must learn to respect women." Huntress said. "Promise me that you won't do that again."  
  
His friends tried to help him. Without release the man that was screaming, she took one of them by the lapel and hit his head against the bars, he fell bleeding, the other thief grabbed her hand and she kicked him in the face.  
  
"Promise me." she clenched her teeth ".or it will be really painful for you. I promise."  
  
"Yes, yes!!" he cried.  
  
* * *  
  
Barbara wheeled inside the police station. It was full of persons, many criminal activities because was late. She looked for the main office and wheeled inside.  
  
"May I help you?" An old policeman was at a desk.  
  
"Good evening, my name is Barbara Gordon."  
  
"Barbara Gordon? The daughter or Comissioner Gordon?" he looked at her surprised.  
  
"Yes, that's me..." she smiled.  
  
"I'm Captain Wheaton, remember me?" he extended his hand and stood up. "Come in."  
  
"Captain! Nice to see you. I never expected find you here."  
  
"Well, I love this job, how is your father?"  
  
"He is fine thanks, really fine. Captain. maybe you could help me. Some of your agents brought a young woman in."  
  
"A young woman?"  
  
"Yes, black short hair, black clothes." Barbara brushed her hair.  
  
"Uh..oh. the liquor store case?" the Captain looked his files. "I'm reading it now."  
  
"Yes, it was a mistake, she stopped a robbery and."  
  
"Well, one of my men that was there told me that she hit some of our men very hard. One of them has a broken nose and another one was knocked out."  
  
Barbara puckered her frown "Oh. I'm really sorry, sometimes she is. rude."  
  
"Rude? Madam, they were 4 of my bigger men.And I had to her put alone in a cell far from the others. She created a big ruckus down there a few minutes ago. She broke the head of one of the."  
  
"Don't tell me. I can guess." Barbara nodded with her head. She could imagine what Helena could do when she feeling as a trapped cat.  
  
"Who is that girl?"  
  
"I'm... I'm her mentor, she is Helena Kyle the daughter of a friend of mine, Selina Kyle, she was murdered a few years ago."  
  
"Yes, I remember that. Is she her daughter?"  
  
"Yes, she is a good person, but has a difficult character. I need to know how I can get her out of here. She is innocent of the robbery."  
  
".Yes but she hit my men and that man in the jail. Oh my, trying to get her to release him, was hard, she grabbed him by his." he pointed to his crotch. Barbara opened her eyes surprised "I had to send the man to the infirmary and I switched her to a different cell with the help of 4 men."  
  
Barbara knew Helena was in really big trouble, and took a deep breath "She knows how to fight, she is. an expert in martial arts." she explained to the Captain "As I said you I'm her mentor; I know her, she is a good girl. She works. All this is a misunderstanding, she was angry because she is innocent, and you know that your agent committed a mistake with her, he shot her, and she helped the owner of the store, surely you can't be mad about that."  
  
"How do you know that?" the policeman glared at her. "You haven't seen the police report, you didn't talk with her.  
  
"I. just know." Barbara tried to explain, she had talked with Helena using the mic but she couldn't tell him.  
  
"And I can see her 'history' here." He looked again in the files. "Wow!"  
  
"Please Captain, it was a long time ago, I had been working with her. She was mad because her mother was murdered. You can't tell me that all this is her fault now, your rookie pointed a gun at her when she had just foiled a robbery."  
  
"Well" he scratched his head "That's true but."  
  
"Tell me what I need to do. I will pay the bail. She is only guilty of annoying your agents but they first committed an injustice with her. And I don't think that you want her in jail so many days" Barbara pointed the captain's crotch. "She is quite impatient."  
  
* * *  
  
Dinah was in the kitchen, it was 5 o'clock in the morning when the elevator door opened. Helena was the first in walk in, she looked like she was in a really bad mood, her eyes still were feral. She threw her coat in a chair and walked to the refrigerator. Barbara wheeled inside behind her.  
  
"Want a cup of coffee?" Dinah asked Barbara.  
  
"Please." the read head said, she put her briefcase in the same chair where Helena left her jacket.  
  
"What happened?" Dinah asked her, preparing the coffe.  
  
"What happened was ten thousand dollars bail because she hit the policemen, she resisted arrest, she hurt some of them, plus a little disturbance inside the jail." Barbara raised her brow and took off her coat.  
  
"And you could get her off after all that?" Dinah looked Helena who sat at the table drinking a glass of milk and took out the peanut butter and bread to prepare a sandwich.  
  
"It was difficult, but I paid a high bail and had to give a long explanation. It helped a lot that the Captain in the Police Station knew my dad and me. If not, she would be there two more days." Barbara explained crossing her arms in the table and looking her protégé who distracted opened the peanut butter jar.  
  
"Want coffee Helena?" Dinah asked to her partner.  
  
"No, thanks." Helena answered preparing her sandwich.  
  
"You need to control yourself, Helena, you could have avoided this." Barbara said in calm voice.  
  
"Yea, I'll let the thief steal next time." She cut her sandwich in half. "Want some of this?"  
  
"No, thanks, I still don't understand how you can eat those things." Barbara shook her head.  
  
"Peanut butter is good." Helena answered.  
  
"I really hope ther's not a next time, okay?" Barbara glared at her. Dinah gave her the cup of coffee.  
  
"Hey, do you think it's funny to be inside a jail for seven hours next to criminals, prostitutes and thieves? I'm a hero, I'm on the good side, I'm supposedly helping those policemen, and they should tell me: Thanks, and not jail me."  
  
"You were rude."  
  
"That rookie was scared and he shot me after I trapped the thief. He lied, I never attacked him!. " Helena explained.  
  
"Precisely for that," Barbara said patiently, after the bad moment she couldn't deny that the situation was funny. "He is a beginner and you are a Pro. You always need to take control."  
  
"Point for her." Dinah said. Huntress bit the sandwich. "Have you been there many times Helena? Barbara said that she usually does this, gets you out of there."  
  
"You had to tell her?" Helena asked Barbara raising her head.  
  
"Not often, just a few times" Barbara smiled. "The last time that she was in jail was a year and a half ago, she sideswiped two cars, flattened a stop sign, crashed into a fire hydrant and knocked out a security guard."  
  
"Remember that I was in a hurry," Helena self-defended "and I shoved him to get him out of the way. I barely even touched the guy."  
  
"Yes, I know your 'barely even touched.'" Dinah raised her brown.  
  
"Okay girls it's too late, time to go to the bed." Barbara said. "Tomorrow is a work day. Want to stay Helena?"  
  
"No, I'll go to my home, you two wake up too early and don't let me sleep."  
  
"Oh yea?" Barbara laughed, crossing her arms "You don't like that we wake you up when we are preparing to leave?"  
  
"It's irritating." Helena looked at her, finishing the sandwich.  
  
"So how what do you call it when you don't let us sleep like at times like this?"  
  
"Oh. this? Well, it's all part of the job. And it's all your fault."  
  
"My fault? Why my fault?" Barbara asked surprised.  
  
"Because if you hadn't trained me as a super hero, my life and your life would be like in any family: boring."  
  
"Ah, I get it, okay super hero, wash the dishes and go to sleep. Tomorrow is a long day."  
  
"Barbara" Dinah interrupted "May I. not go on patrol tomorrow night?"  
  
"What's wrong? Is there a problem?" Barbara looked her.  
  
"No, I met a guy at school and he invited me to the movies tomorrow."  
  
"Yes, of course, it's good that you have your moments of distraction as Helena did tonight."  
  
"I couldn't call tonight a 'distraction moment'" Helena said.  
  
"No? You kept all busy and are awake now. Good night." She wheeled toward her room. 


	4. Hangover

Helena walked inside Clock Tower in the next afternoon. All was so quiet, she looked around, Alfred was alone upstairs in the library cleaning the books. She stepped back in the elevator and pushed the button up.  
  
"Hi Alfred" she greeted walking toward him, she wore a short white blouse and red pants.  
  
"Good afternoon miss Helena, a difficult night?"  
  
"Barbara told you." She sat in a chair next to the desk.  
  
"Yes, and I cold tell you that I didn't laugh so much since a while ago."  
  
"I don't see what's so funny."  
  
"Maybe because you were the principal character. See it like something anecdotic."  
  
"Very anecdotic."  
  
"Neither you mother were in so much trouble as you." Alfred said giving her a cloth and a dirty book.  
  
"The problems come to me alone, where is Barbara?" she began to clean the cover of the book.  
  
"She is in her room, back in a few minutes.".  
  
"Hi Helena!" Dinah appeared in the room smiling. "How are you?"  
  
"After yesterday what do you think?"  
  
"Oh Helena wasn't your fault." Dinah said sat in the desk.  
  
"Is frustrating fight against crime with these rookies in the streets." Helena said to her.  
  
"Well, everybody have a first time." Alfred smiled "until you miss Helena."  
  
"Yea, but I never pointed a guy with a gun." Helena took another book to clean.  
  
"You not need gun to be in troubles." Alfred explained "Or I must remember the."  
  
"No!" she interrupted.  
  
"What?" Dinah asked.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Alfred tell me." Dinah begged.  
  
"Hey!" Helena opened her arms "I had enough problems yesterday:"  
  
"And you will find more in your career" Alfred explained "But with this experience, you will know what to do the next time."  
  
"Yea, go out by the back door." Helena groaned.  
  
"You are so funny Helena" Dinah laughed.  
  
"Afternoon girls" Barbara wheeled inside the lab and looked up. "Hi! How are you Helena?"  
  
"Fine, thanks."  
  
Dinah stood up and ran downstairs to join Barbara.  
  
"See?" Helena said to Alfred "she had fun and I work. She goes to the movies now."  
  
"Well as you said, you are the older super hero here, after Miss Barbara of course." He gave her another book "The sacrifice is part of the job. And I'm sure this experiences would turn you most stronger."  
  
Helena glared at him "Sometimes I don't know if you are talking me serious or if you are making fun of me."  
  
"Miss Helena how could you think that I would make fun of you?" he asked seriously.  
  
Dinah jumped the last steps and ran toward Barbara.  
  
"How I look?" the blond asked.  
  
"Great," Barbara examined her "You look great."  
  
"May I back at 12? After the movies we will like go to dinner."  
  
"Sure, but not more." She looked up and saw Helena and Alfred. "Hey Helena when you finish could you please wash your clothes?"  
  
"Which clothes?" Helena puckered her frown.  
  
"The clothes that are in the laundry room since last Friday. The little basket grew to a big mountain."  
  
"Mountain? she exaggerate." she mumbled to Alfred upstairs.  
  
"I don't think so." Alfred smiled. "Remember that you change your clothes every five minutes. Multiply 5 days by 4 changes every one. It means."  
  
"Okay, okay" she put the cloth in the table and walked to the elevator "better I'll go to wash it before you two kill me."  
  
"Miss Helena." Alfred raised his finger. "Just remember: Is one cup of soap in a washing machine load."  
  
"Oh Alfred." Helena raised her hands "How I could know that with just a cup of soap all those clothes would be clean.?"  
  
"Yes, but accept that was an exaggeration put the half of the box inside the machine."  
  
"Don't remember me, I cleaned the room that time."  
  
"And don't use bleach." Alfred pointed.  
  
".In dark clothes." she added nodding with her head and walked inside the elevator "I know, now I know."  
  
Alfred loved Helena, was like a big child. He felt sad because Bruce Wayne had lost the opportunity to see grow that marvellous girl.  
  
* * *  
  
Dinah walked with his friend Jean-Paul, down street, they were laughing loud after a fun cinema movie. He was new in the town and was nice. They turned in a street and suddenly, a black cars screeched next them. Eight men stepped out the vehicle. Dinah looked surprised them. Jean-Paul pusher her in his back.  
  
"Hi Jean-Paul." one of the men said "Nice to see you again."  
  
"What are you doing here?" Jean-Paul asked.  
  
The men circling them. One of them took Dinah by the arm. He put a gun in her head.  
  
"Your time is over" he said to Jean-Paul "We need go."  
  
"No! Leave her!" Jean-Paul hit one of the men in the face and two of them grabbed him by the arms.  
  
The man that held Dinah, hit her in the head, she fell stunned.  
  
"I don't like the games." The man said pointing his gun to her. "I'm going to show you what happens when you make me feel angry."  
  
A black shadow fell over the man, before he could react he was in the floor. Huntress took him by the lapel and throw him against his accomplices. She jumped over one of the men and put her hands in his shoulders, she raised her legs and kicked the two guys next to her. They fell to the floor.  
  
Jean-Paul ran next to Dinah. Huntress knocked two of the guys. Another one attacked her and she hit him. A second man held her by her back. She raised again both legs and kicked one of the men in the stomach harder. She released the hold and began to fight against the men.  
  
"Wow" Jean-Paul exclaimed surprised "Who is she?"  
  
Dinah didn't answer, she was worried, if she fought, he would discover her. Huntress was fighting against five men. Suddenly she saw one of the men that was in the floor, took a gun and pointed her at the back. The brunette was busy fighting and she didn't see him.  
  
Jean-Paul observed distracted the ability of Huntress amazed. Dinah raised her arm and she pushed the hand of the man and detour the shot; he didn't saw her. Huntress turned back when she heard the sound and quickly jumped over him and took the gun. She knocked him with a punch in his jaw. The men stood up and ran away in the car. Huntress waited a few second looking they escape and walked to Dinah.  
  
"Thanks, are you okay?" she asked helping her to stand up.  
  
"Yes. you were on time." Dinah said.  
  
"Do you know each other?" Jean-Paul asked surprised.  
  
Dinah felt disturbed. Huntress didn't mind the question, she glared at him, something in that guy didn't like her.  
  
"Yes." Dinah answered "she help me some times before."  
  
"Wow, who are you?" Jean-Paul asked surprised to Huntress.  
  
"Who are those guys? Why they were looking for you?" Huntress asked Jean- Paul.  
  
"I don't know,"  
  
"Hey, I don't like the liars!" Huntress said, "They called you by your name and the almost kill her."  
  
"Huntress don't be rude!" Dinah said.  
  
"I'm not rude, I just try to be 'persuasive'."  
  
"You are Huntress?" he asked surprised.  
  
"Yes, I'm Huntress, now answer me. Who are those men?"  
  
"My father is important. they try to kidnap me. sorry Dinah if I not told you this, I don't like that the people be my friend just because of my father."  
  
"Who is your father?" Dinah asked.  
  
"Is an important business man from Los Angeles." Jean-Paul felt uncomfortable "Those men are following me, I come here trying to hide of them, but they found me."  
  
"Why they want kidnap you?" Huntress looked him with distrust.  
  
".It's a long story." Jean-Paul examined Huntress "You aren't a normal girl. how you could do that?"  
  
"Professional secrets."  
  
::Huntress:: the brunette heard Oracle's voice in her ear ::Where are you?::  
  
"Finishing a job, what happen?"  
  
::A robbery in the eight avenue.::  
  
"On my way"  
  
"¿She had a com set?" Jean-Paul said "That is cool! Who is she talking to?"  
  
".I guess it's her boss" Dinah raised her elbows.  
  
"I don't have a boss" Huntress said.  
  
"Well, maybe was your conscience. or are you going to tell me that you don't have one?"  
  
"Very funny. Better go home, it's late and those guys would back. Take a taxi." Huntress looked Jean-Paul "Later we talk." She jumped to the stairway and later to the rooftop of the building.  
  
"She is amazing." Jean-Paul observed her "Who is she?"  
  
"A crime -fighter, let's go Jean-Paul."  
  
"Is she your friend?"  
  
"Yes. I see her often."  
  
"Talk me about her, she fights amazing, jump so high."  
  
"Jean-Paul, take me to my home, before we talk about Huntress' secrets, I think that you must talk to me about your 'secrets'"  
  
They start to walk again. 


	5. Helena's Coundrum

The next afternoon in the Clock tower, Helena was in the training room with Barbara. The red head was putting gloves on her hands while Helena tied her shoe laces.  
  
"I don't like this new friend of Dinah's." The brunette said.  
  
"Why?" Barbara asked, distractedly wheeling to the shelf where the escrima sticks were located.  
  
"I don't know, I have a bad feeling about him."  
  
"Helena, I'm glad that she's meeting new people"  
  
"Yea, me too, but I don't like him. Okay, I'm ready" she stood up in the middle of the room.  
  
Barbara raised her brow and wheeled in front of her. "Are you going to fight without escrima sticks and without protection?"  
  
"Yes, I don't use it in the street." Helena was in a defensive position. "I don't like your sticks.  
  
"I could hurt you."  
  
"No way, I'm faster, go."  
  
Barbara moved her arm quickly, sweeping the escrima under Helena's feet, she fell backwards. Suddenly, she had another escrima stick over her neck.  
  
"What was that?" the girl asked in the floor.  
  
"That you aren't faster." Barbara smiled wheeling back.  
  
"You were lucky" Helena said standing up "What did Dinah tell you about her new friend?"  
  
"That he will graduate this year and is new in the city, his name is Jean- Paul Smithson."  
  
"French name?" Helena prepared her self again.  
  
"Looks like it, I searched in the files." Barbara tried to hit her again but this time Helena avoided the sticks. "Good movement."  
  
"Thanks." Helena tried to punch her but Barbara blocked her fist with the sticks. Helena tried again but this time Barbara trapped her hand between her sticks and turned her arm down. Helena moved her other hand to try to grab Barbara's hand but she moved faster and hit her in the ribs. Helena bent down and stepped back.  
  
"We need to investigate him a little more." Barbara added doing a sweep with her escrima sticks "He lived with a tutor until he was 18, and later he lived alone. He had a big bank account. Someone deposits money on it every month."  
  
"Wait a minute. a tutor? He said his father is important. Where is he?" Helena attacked Barbara again. The red head stopped her fist and pushed her back.  
  
"There is not much information, looks like a witness protected, maybe his father was one. I need to search in FBI files." Barbara explained.  
  
Helena jumped over Barbara. She took one of her sticks with the hand and landed on her feet.  
  
"Mine." Helena smiled to her.  
  
"I liked that." Barbara threw a hit with the escrima that she had in her hand. Helena raised her hand and instinctively blocled it with her stick. Barbara attacked her harder and faster; the brunette had trouble blocking her. Finally, Barbara took her down. The escrima flew and Barbara greabbed it with her free hand. "Mine." She smiled.  
  
"Are you going to look for these files today?" Helena asked. "Dinah worries me, it's dangerous for her to go out with him. We don't know who is following this guy. They use very strong weapons, not common ones."  
  
"Yes, but at the same time it's an advantage that she will be near him. She could keep an eye on him."  
  
"Yes, that's true." Helena attacked again and she moved her hands faster. Barbara blocked her punches. Finally, she managed to take the sticks from Barbara. "You lose, they're mine!"  
  
"That was so good." The red head said.  
  
"Yea, but you hit hard." Helena looked her forearm, she had a bruise there.  
  
"I told you." Barbara took a towel and put it over her neck. "Let's go, I need to search again for more files."  
  
"And I'll be looking around."  
  
* * *  
  
Helena was in the kitchen eating a peanut butter sandwich, absentmindedly reading a magazine. Dinah arrived home from school, threw her bag on one of the chairs and sat down in front of Helena, crossing her arms on the table looking at her.  
  
"Wasn't me." Helena said turning the page.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Anything, wasn't me. You and Barbara always think that when something happens I'm the guilty one." She bit into the sandwich.  
  
"How can you eat that everyday?" Dinah asked getting up to get a coke from the fridge.  
  
"It's just a snack. I need it to keep me strong."  
  
"With peanut butter? Come on! Well, it's your stomach, not mine."  
  
"Peanut butter is a vegetarian source of protein; provides essential vitamins and minerals like Vitamin E, Niacin, Phosphorous & Magnesium; is Cholesterol Free and can help improve your HDL-LDL ratio; contains fiber, offering about as much as ½ cup of broccoli."  
  
Dinah turned her face to see Helena, she was reading the label on the jar. "What is that?" she asked.  
  
"The nutritional information for peanut butter." Helena said and kept reading "is a good source of natural folic acid, an essential nutrient during pregnancy and in the prevention of heart disease."  
  
"Well, you are not pregnant" Dinah sat at the table again with the coke in her hand.  
  
"No, but my heart is stronger with this." The brunette raised the jar. "Do you know that Arachibutyrophobia (I-RA-KID-BU-TI-RO-PHO-BI-A) is the fear of peanut butter getting stuck to the roof of your mouth?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"And when making a PB&J sandwich, 96% of people put the peanut butter on before the jelly. Peanut butter is not just butter, isn't that interesting? I read that on internet."  
  
"Helena Kyle using a computer? I can't believe it." Dinah laughed.  
  
"Hey! I have my talents. I don't like computers but that doesn't mean that I don't know how to use them." Helena took another bite of her sandwich.  
  
"Ok, ok, forget it. Jean-Paul wants see you. He told me he had something important to tell you."  
  
"Why he didn't tell it to you?"  
  
"Because you are the 'hero' not me. He thinks that I'm a normal human being." Dinah took one of the sandwichs off of Helena's plate.  
  
"Hey, that's mine!"  
  
Dinah bite into it. "Was yours." She took a piece of paper out of her pocket, extending it to Helena.  
  
"What is this?" the brunette asked.  
  
"His mobile number. He thinks that you are the only person that can help him."  
  
"Me? Oh no." she smiled.  
  
"Helena, why are you so difficult? He is my friend, help him."  
  
"I don't like him."  
  
"Why don't you like him?" Dinah rolled her eyes.  
  
"I don't know. it's. well. Simply put I just don't like him."  
  
"Give him a chance."  
  
"Everytime I see him, my sense turns on which isn't my fault." Helena explained. "and my sense always is right.  
  
"Everytime? But you've only seen him once. Wait a minute." Dinah locked her eyes on her. "Have you been following him?"  
  
"Me?" Helena realized that she had talked too much.  
  
"You said 'everytime'"  
  
"Okay, I just want to be sure that he is not lying to you. Somethings are not always clear."  
  
"That's reason he is looking for you, to explain things." Dinah pressed her.  
  
"Okay, okay. I'll call him later. from a public phone."  
  
Dinah smiled. "I think that you are prejudiced against him because you're jealous."  
  
Helena choked on the bread. Dinah laughed as she explained: "Jealous as every big sister is with her little sister when she begins to go out with kids."  
  
"That's true, it's not good that you overprotect her." Barbara said wheeling inside the kitchen.  
  
"I do not overprotect her!" Helena protested.  
  
"Sometimes you do" Dinah pointed to the brunette. "When we are patrolling at night you are always keeping an eye on me. Don't deny it."  
  
"I agree," Barbara served herself a cup of coffee "I listen to you two every night discussing who is going to kick who, and how many each one takes."  
  
"Well, I'm older, I have more experience." Helena smiled.  
  
"Yes, of course." Dinah raised her brow.  
  
"The next time I promise I'll let the bad guys kick your ass." Helena took a bite of her bread.  
  
"I need ask you another favour."  
  
"Mmm?" Helena knew that the blonde was going to ask something that she was sure she wouldn't like.  
  
"I was thinking of inviting him to dinner, but if I do that I need to ask you to please disappear."  
  
"Why?" Helena asked with her mouth full of bread and peanut butter.  
  
"It's bad manners to talk with your mouth full." Barbara wheeled up next to the table.  
  
"Remember the secret identity thing?" Dinah cleaned her hands with a napkin "You don't have one."  
  
"And..?" the brunette asked.  
  
"Helena!" Barbara exclaimed. Helena put her hand over her mouth.  
  
".And he saw you as Huntress." Dinah explained "He can't see you as Helena Kyle."  
  
Helena puckered her forehead looking at her friends. They were working against her, this was an outrage.  
  
"She is right" Barbara said sipping her coffee "he can't see you. You don't wear a mask and you must keep your secret identity." Barbara smirked.  
  
"Hey! I'm not going to wear a mask!" Helena exclaimed.  
  
"Yes, we know," Barbara answered "and for that reason you can't be here if he comes to dinner with us."  
  
The brunette was trapped. "Oh. come on." Alfred entered to the kitchen at that moment "Can you help me?" she asked.  
  
"Help you, Miss Helena?" He was surprised "I thought you were self- sufficient."  
  
"I am, but this is unfair!"  
  
"Miss Helena, remember that a hero's life is more sadness than happiness, but this helps to build character. It's hard, but you must learn that the hero's life always is unfair."  
  
"That was a low blow Alfred! Okay, okay. you win, you win! I give up" Helena raised her hands. "Three against one, you win!"  
  
Dinah smiled. Helena looked her friends in silence crossing her arms on the table a few seconds before asking: "You're joking, right?"  
  
Barbara and Dinah laughed looking at the _expression on her face. "Yes" Dinah patted her shoulder "He's just a friend. I'm not going to bring him here."  
  
"Could you investigate something else Dinah?" Barbara asked.  
  
"He doesn't talk much about his personal life, but he told me that he wanted to talk with Huntress to explain. I gave Helena his mobile number. Something is really strange here. He is hiding a secret, maybe he will reveal it to Helena."  
  
"I promise to call him later. After my work at the bar."  
  
"Ok, I'll go change and later I'm going to the library with Gabby, byeee." The blond stood up and hugged Helena giving her a kiss on her cheek, the brunette grumbled. "Thanks, you are so sweet." Dinah said, laughing at her sign of protest and walking to the elevator.  
  
"Good bye." Barbara raised her hand. She smiled at seeing Helena blush "Why don't you like to show your good side?"  
  
"I don't hide it." Helena answered.  
  
"You don't like for people to know that you have a heart." Barbara pointed at her with her finger "Come with me, I need to go to the Center Town to buy some clothes and you have a good eye for the cool ones."  
  
"Uhhhh" Helena smirked "A date? Handsome man?"  
  
"No, a meeting, old men." She frowned.  
  
Helena laughed and stood up, taking her coat.  
  
* * * Barbara and Helena walked around the Center of Town looking into store windows. Barbara was looking for a nice dress and some accessories for an important meeting. She had invited Helena because she had a very good eye for clothes and because she wanted to talk with her. The street was full of people.  
  
"Do you think?." Helena asked walking at her side.  
  
"It is just my point of view." Barbara explained "It is your choice. You are so nice and you could have many friends, don't be so difficult."  
  
"I'm not difficult, I just keep my secrets, I am a super-hero, remember?"  
  
"I'm a 'super-hero' too and I don't have a problem in showing my feelings."  
  
"Uh, oh," Helena knew she was in trouble "Now I know where are you going."  
  
They turned onto an empty street.  
  
"I'm not going anywhere," Barbara smiled "I'm your friend and I think that you are so 'cool' and you."  
  
"Cool?" Helena laughed "It is odd hearing that word come from you!"  
  
"Raise your hands." A thief with his face covered, stood in front of them with a gun in his hands. Helena and Barbara looked him without saying a word. "The money ladies." He demanded.  
  
Barbara took out her escrima sticks and hit his hand, the pistol fell to the floor and he grabbed his wrist. "You need to be more open Helena." Barbara said hitting the man in the stomach with the other stick. He bent down.  
  
"I'm open Barbara! I've opened myself to you!" Helena hesitated. "I've told you. well maybe not everything but most everything."  
  
"The more I have to push you to talk!" The man tried to hit Barbara but she blocked his fist with both sticks and she moved her arm faster and hit his the leg and his head making him fall to the ground, stunned.  
  
"I have a better relationship with the kid" Helena rested her back against a brick wall. "I don't annoy her, well, not as much. just a bit, well it's normal! All big sisters annoy their smaller sisters, it's a unwritten rule."  
  
"I'm not talking about that." Barbara looked her "I'm talking about you expressing your feelings, opening yourself to receive affection." "You know this is my style."  
  
"It's not your 'style' that's the point. You transform into a rock everytime one of us try to show affection towards you." Barbara said. The thief stood up and took off a knife, "I know it's hard for you but it wouldn't hurt you to try."  
  
"You're right. Barbara, do you think it is as Dinah said, I'm acting like a big jealous sister towards her little sister? I'm just worried about her, I don't care if she goes out with boys or not."  
  
The thief tried to surprise Barbara, but she swung her hand back and hit his wrist, "Well, as I said you are too overprotective of her sometimes." Barbara hit the man in the ribs and again on his wrist, the knife flew in the air. "I understand, she is learning, but you must trust her more.."  
  
Helena caught the knife with her right hand. "I'll don't like it when someone hurts her, she is still too young." she examined the knife and threw into the trashcan.  
  
"I know, but she is intelligent" Barbara hit the man twice in the head and the last blow made him crash against the wall. He fell to the floor unconscious. "I'm sure she will know what to do" Barbara kept her escrima sticks and brushed her hair. "Remember your first date with a guy, you were too nervous."  
  
Helena stood up in front of her, she brushed a few locks of hair away from her forehead. "And it was a disaster, I couldn't control my nervousness and when he tried to kiss me, my eyes changed, he ran away scared" She laughed.  
  
"Well, to him it wasn't funny." Barbara smiled lightly and turned her wheelchair to continue on her way. Helena followed her.  
  
"The next ones were better, I kept my eyes closed." The brunette said. "But as you said, maybe I'm too over protective."  
  
"Are you going to see Dinah's friend tonight?" Barbara asked.  
  
"I'll call him later, maybe when I've finished working."  
  
Barbara looked at her watch "We need to hurry, it's late."  
  
"It's not my fault, you took your time."  
  
"Was a bad time huh?" Barbara pressed her lips looking her watch again.  
  
"Not too bad. he pulled a knife too." Helena tried to comfort Barbara.  
  
"True." The red head raised her brow.  
  
"And it was a cheap knife." Helena added.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
Both women continued walking down street. The afternoon was falling in New Gotham.  
  
* * * 


	6. Darkness

Huntress was on a rooftop looking distractedly down on the street. She couldn't understand why Jean-Paul doesn't like her. Dinah could be right, maybe she was acting like an old jealous sister. She grumbled to herself, how could that be possible, she always has been in control of herself. it was late, she had to be at the Clocktower but she was waiting for that man.  
  
Suddenly her sense turned on, her eyes changing. She jumped over a water tank. The emergency door opened, it was Jean-Paul. He stepped out and walked to the balcony. Huntress fell in behind him. He jumped in fright.  
  
"Huntress!!" he sighed with relief.  
  
"Who else?" Huntress put her hands in her pockets. She couldn't avoid the guy. It was very unpleasant for her.  
  
"You always do this?"  
  
"Usually, what happened?"  
  
"Thanks Huntress." Jean-Paul noticed her eyes. "Wow, amazing, are they always like that? They're beautiful."  
  
Huntress turned her face nervously. "No, well, yes, sometimes."  
  
"How strong are you? I'm just curious."  
  
"Enough to take care of this city. Why do you want to see me?"  
  
"And you can jump high distances?" Jean-Paul asked.  
  
"Yes. Jean-Paul what do you want?" Huntress began to get impatient.  
  
"Why I don't like you?"  
  
"Jean-Paul, you called me, I'm here, I don't have time, What happen?"  
  
"I need your help. As you know there are a lot of people who are searching for me..."  
  
Huntress tried to pay attention to his words but her warning sense turned backed on. She looked around the rooftop. She couldn't see anything but the sense of danger was still there.  
  
"What do you think?" Jean-Paul asked.  
  
Huntress pushed him against the wall. "Don't move." she said in low voice. "This smells really bad. Something is wrong here. would be dangerous for you." her eyes searched for a strange movement in the nearest buildings.  
  
"I thought that I didn't like you."  
  
"Would be, but that is not a fact to let you die. And you are a friend of Dinah."  
  
A shot crashed next to Jean-Paul's head. Huntress pushed him down and she rolled over behind several boxes. "Stay there!" she shouted him.  
  
She moved to the back of the rooftop. She could see a man hiding in the next building. He was with two more men. She ran faster and jumped over next to the men. They were surprised when they saw a black shadow fell over them. Huntress grabbed the arm of one with her hand and kicked the two men next to him. She turned to the sniper and hit him hard in the face.  
  
Jean-Paul raised his head and looked at her fighting against the men. A door opened and two more men appeared. They fired their rifles at her. Huntress rolled to avoid being hurt, hiding behind the water tank.  
  
The bullets make big holes in the tank, Huntress hunkered down covering her head with her hands. When the rifles were empty, they walked to the water tank reloading, one moving to the right and the other one to the left.  
  
The first man was received with a kick to his face, Huntress agilely jumped over him and used him as a shield. The other man shot at her but he hit his partner in the chest. Huntress shoved the injured man against the other one and she hit him in the face twice. He fell backwards.  
  
Huntress looked around, all was clear apparently, but her sense was still tingling. She was going to turn on her mic to call Oracle when she heard someone clapping behind her. It was Jean-Paul.  
  
"Your sixth sense is amazing, as are all of your abilities. You fight incrediblely!"  
  
"Who are this guys?" she asked to him. "Why are they looking for you with these? This is not a common weapon, it's too sophisticated." She tossed one of the rifles to him. He caught it with both hands and examined it carefully.  
  
"Is beautiful." He said looking at the weapon.  
  
"Now talk." Huntress was angry "I don't have time for your games, who are you?"  
  
"First I need to say thank you" Jean-Paul explained "These men are enemies of my father, they wanted kill me because of revenge. I never expected that you would help me to get rid of them."  
  
"Who is your father? Why are you alone if killers are looking for you? This looks dangerous for you!"  
  
"Well, this situation will be more dangerous for you than for me..." He pointed at her with the rifle.  
  
Huntress looked at him surprised "What are you doing?"  
  
"Don't move or I'll shoot you."  
  
Huntress tried to take a step and he shot at her, the bullet passed near her head. She froze.  
  
"I'm warning you, the next one goes to the middle of your eyes, don't move." Jean-Paul groaned.  
  
"Could you explain me about what this is all about?" she asked with out knowing what to think.  
  
"Sorry Huntress. I didn't tell you that Joker is my father?"  
  
"What?" Huntress felt the anger growing inside her. Her eyes locked on him.  
  
"Hey easy. I see that you know him. Yes, he is my father. The great and incredible Joker, a master mind."  
  
Huntress understood why her sense was warning her every time she saw him. "What do you want?"  
  
"Well, I need finish my father's job: kill Barbara Gordon. My father sent me to find and kill her. And you are a nuisance in my mission. But now, with you out of my way, it's going to be easy. Harleen warning me about you." Huntress felt a chill in her back when she heard her name "But she couldn't give me too much details because the security is really strong in Arkham. I know about the Clocktower, but I can't get in. Well, with you near it would be most difficult, so the first part of all this is to get you out of my way."  
  
"These men are part of your fake?" Huntress asked trying to think fast.  
  
"No, they helped me to make that you believe that I really was in trouble. They really wanted kill me, because they know that I'm Joker's son. My father failed, he shot Barbara Gordon. he shot Batgirl. but she is still alive. Now, without you, I'll finish his job. I just wanted that you know who I am before you die."  
  
"Forget it!" Huntress kicked the gun surprising him. She hit him in his face and he fell to the floor. He stood up and tried to punch her but he fail.  
  
"Sorry" she said hitting him in the face again "Dying isn't in my plans yet." She turned and kicked him twice. "You never will touch Barbara! First you must kill me, and that is not today."  
  
He moved faster and put his hand on Huntress neck and pushed her against the wall. He tried to hit her but she avoided his fists. She kicked him and he fell backwards. He stood up and tried to hit her but she began to kick him making him step back. He avoided her last kick and ran to the stairway. Huntress jumped in front of him.  
  
"Where are you going?" she asked punching him in the stomach, he fell near the cornice  
  
"Your next stop is the jail." Huntress said angry.  
  
He raised his head, he was lost; she saw Huntress, she was near the border of the building.  
  
"And your next stop it's a grave!." Suddenly he stood up and ran toward her, he held her by the wais with both arms pushing her back, Huntress stumbled against the cornice, she lost her balance and both fell down.  
  
Huntress thought faster, it was high. Instinctively, she hugged him to protect him and rolled to try to cushion the blow with some canopies in the windows. They broke all of them while they were falling. They bounced in the last one and she beat her back and head harder against the roof of car parking in the street with him over her. She took the entire force of the impact and all turned black, the last thing she could see was the dark sky. Both fell to the floor and rolled in the ground.  
  
Huntress lied over her stomach bleeding deeply of her head. He fell next to her with a bruise on his arm. It took him some seconds to know what had happened. He shook his head and looked Huntress, the blood covered part of her face and she was unconscious. A watchman that had heard the noise went off a building and ran next to him.  
  
The men helped him to stand up, and later kneeled next to Huntress to examine her. "We need call an ambulance." he said.  
  
"Is. she alive?" *Wow!* he thought looking the top of the building *Is really amazing, she fell so high, she covered me, and is still alive? *  
  
"She is bleeding, what happened?" the watchman asked.  
  
Jean-Paul hesitated. "Well, she was at the balcony. it broke and she fell over me." he tried to explain.  
  
Huntress moaned and moved lightly, she felt her body break; her head hurt her a lot. She tried to stand up.  
  
"Don't." the watchman held her against the floor. "What's your name?"  
  
Huntress was stunned, she opened her eyes slowly. Jean-Paul looked around searching for something to hit her and finish his job; that girl was dangerous. He stepped back and saw a big piece of wood next a trash container.  
  
"Could you tell me your name?" the watchman insisted to the brunette. .  
  
".I." Huntress mumbled, all was confused in her mind.  
  
"A name of a member or your family? A phone number?"  
  
".I. I don't know.." She swallowed hard and tried to think clearly.  
  
Jean-Paul took the piece of wood and walked slowly toward them; he needed kill her before she stood up. Dinah had told him that she was special, but she exceeded his expectations. She was most strong than a common human being.  
  
"Okay. so what is your name?" the watchman put his hand in Huntress' back.  
  
"I. I." Huntress felt all was cloudy. She realized she didn't know who she was, she looked at him confused. ".I. don't know."  
  
"Don't know your name?"  
  
"I.... I don't remember." Huntress put her elbow over the floor trying to stand up but the watchman held her asking her not do that. Jean-Paul walked toward them with the piece of wood at his back. "I can't remember my name" she raised her head and looked at Jean-Paul confused, he now stood up in front of her.  
  
Jean-Paul kept silent waiting and clutching the piece of wood at his back, ready to attack her. He just needed hit her with a blow. But something told him to wait a few seconds more. "Do you remember me?" he asked.  
  
She focused on him and tried to recognize him unsuccessfully. "I know you?" she closed her eyes.  
  
"Your name is Huntress?" he kneeled in front of her.  
  
"What kind of name is that?" the watchman said.  
  
"Shut up! Tell me girl. your name is Huntress?"  
  
"...I don't know." Huntress opened her eyes again, she felt really scared and lost. She took her hand to her head and noticed that she was bleeding "Oh my God! What is happening?"  
  
"Call to the hospital, I'll stay here with her." Jean-Paul said to the watchman.  
  
"Okay." the watchman ran to his building.  
  
"You must remember!" Jean-Paul held her by the neck pressing his teeth. Huntress looked him terrified. "I don't have time for your fucking games!" he shouted "You know who I am!"  
  
". I swear to you, I can't remember, I can't remember. " she stuttered.  
  
Jean-Paul pushed her back and smiled. He felt he would change his plans. He stood up and broke the window of the driver side of the car that they had crashed and opened the door. He opened the steering wheel by the bottom and looked for some cables to turn on the car.  
  
Huntress cleaned her face with her hand, the blood didn't let her see. She couldn't understand what was happening, but she felt that she needed run away. She kneeled and put her hand in the floor trying to keep her balance. All moved down her feet and she tried to stand up, but she saw flashes in front her; she felt her knees trembling and suddenly, all turned black. She fell unconscious heavily on the floor.  
  
Jean-Paul turned on the car, he opened the back and looked for Huntress. She was lying on the sidewalk, a few meters away from him. He took her by her armpits and dragged her inside the back seat. He sat in the driver seat and drove disappearing in the night. 


	7. Lost

At the beginning Barbara had been mad thinking that Helena had her mic off as usually, but after several hours with out notices about her, she was really worried. The last time that she had talked with her was that afternoon. She had disappeared after she left her work in the bar, Leonard said that she had been there until 8 PM. She looked at the watch again, was it 3 AM. Dinah walked inside the lab after a long night looking for Helena. Barbara turned to see her.  
  
"Did you investigate the man that gave the false alarm in 911?"  
  
Dinah was sad. "Yes, the police said it was a bad joke. I talked with the watchman, he said he found a girl with short hair, black clothes and a short coat in the street, he couldn't see her well, it was dark, she was alive but hurt but it fits Huntress' description. She fell from a high floor as a man that was with her explained. The man had blond hair and was as tall as Jean-Paul, but could be anybody. When the watchman came back later, they had disappeared. If he were playing a joke he wouldn't give the address where he works."  
  
A shadow covered Barbara's face, she leaned in her chair and took a deep breath.  
  
Dinah showed her two plastic bags. "I found this, he didn't lie"  
  
"What is that?"  
  
"I looked around, I found blood in the sidewalk, not much, but I picked it up, I found some glass, from a car window: Maybe we can know which kind of car it is" Dinah connected her scan to the computer and opened a window to show the pictures to Barbara "I took some pictures, look, some canopies of the buildings windows, are broken."  
  
".As if something heavy fell and broke it." Barbara bit her nail nervously.  
  
"Yes. I went to the rooftop I found these." Dinah took off two plastic bags more "Another sample of blood, but this time was so much. And many bullet caseings, I bring someone. She would be hurt with a bullet, and because of the blood in the rooftop. was a very big wound."  
  
Barbara swallowed. "I'll begin to do an analysis of the blood, while you contact Jean-Paul and asked him if he could talk with Huntress. I know is late but it's important. When you finish analyze the bullet cases and the glasses. I'll be back." Barbara wheeled to the laboratory  
  
* * *  
  
Huntress woke up slowly, she was in a small room, only a small lamp in the ceiling. She was in a bed tied with her hands behind her back. She felt a hand cleaning her face, was a younger man was sat in front of her. She moved and groaned lightly, her head hurt.  
  
"Yes, I couldn't talk with her" the man was talking by phone. He smiled looking the confusion expression in Huntress' face. "I was waiting for her but she never arrived. I really need talk with her. Dinah, if you see her, please tell her that is urgent. And if she called me, I let you know. Bye." he hung up his mobile "Well, well, you are awake. How are you?"  
  
"Who are you?" She couldn't understand what was happening. She tried to remember something but she couldn't, and that scared her.  
  
"Don't you remember me?" he leaned over her.  
  
"No. Where am I?" she moved her head back.  
  
."First tell me who are you." He took some gauzes and an alcohol bottle off the table.  
  
"Me?" Huntress swallowed, she tried to remember but she couldn't, her mind was a big white page "I. I don't know."  
  
"You don't know." He joked and sat in the bed, he tried to touch her head and she moved it back "Easy girl, easy, I'm trying to heal your head wound, don't move."  
  
"Who are you?... Why am I tied?"  
  
"I needed be sure." he smiled. "Now let me heal your head. Put your face down on the pillow. I need to heal the back of your head.  
  
"Why you must be sure? Sure of what?"  
  
"You attacked me a few hours ago." He said. "Now let me help you, put your face down."  
  
She obeyed frightened. He took a piece of gauze and began to clean her wound softly.  
  
"I attacked you? why?" Huntress asked trying to remember.  
  
"I don't know, you lost control, I needed to hit you. You and I are partners."  
  
"Partners?" Huntress asked.  
  
"Yea. Crime partners."  
  
* * *  
  
A few hours later. Dinah was sitting in front the computer waiting for the test results. She was lost in her thoughts. Someone had gotten Helena, and they had no idea who it might be.  
  
"What happened? Did you talk with him?" the read head asked wheeling inside.  
  
"He said she never arrived at her appointment."  
  
"Where was it supposed to be?"  
  
"In another place far from where the watchman called the police."  
  
Barbara scratched her head "I have the blood tests. The one that you found on the rooftop isn't hers, but the spot that you found on the street is her blood." She looked Dinah. The face of the girl turned pale.  
  
"So, she was the woman that the watchman saw on the floor?" Dinah felt her heart stop.  
  
"I'm afraid. yes."  
  
"What do you think happened? The bullets are from very powerful weapons, not common ones."  
  
"Maybe she surprised a group of criminals. but I don't know what to think. She is not dead; they didn't kill her, but why? Where is she? I'm really worried."  
  
The uncertainty of didn't know what had happened to her was killing Barbara. But she knew she needed kept her mind cold, was the only way that she could help Huntress. She started to type again in the keyboard.  
  
* * *  
  
Dinah walked distracted in the school cafeteria, she was thinking in her friend and in all the possibilities of where she would be. She had been talking with Gabby but she couldn't get attention on her, her mind wasn't there, she was looking be alone. Barbara had asked for a permission to stay in Clock Tower and continued her search.  
  
"Dinah." Jean Paul greeted her "How are you?"  
  
"Jean-Paul, hi." she gave him a light small eating her lunch. "I'm fine thanks.."  
  
He sat in a chair next to her and asked in low voice. "Huntress called you?"  
  
"Eh? No, no. I couldn't contact her."  
  
"Why do you think she couldn't be on time on our appointment?"  
  
"Well. I dunno" Dinah raised her brows "She is unpredictable."  
  
patylandy: Jean-Paul smirked. "Where did you meet her?"  
  
"She saved me one night, of a guy" she explained remembering the night that she had meet Huntress. "and later I saw her some times more and we start to talk."  
  
"She is amazing, I'm surprised with her, she can jump high distances, she fight incredible, she is too fast. what else she could do?" Jean-Paul tried to know more about the brunette.  
  
".I dunno, I never ask her..."  
  
"Where she.?"  
  
"Jean-Paul." Dinah interrupted "I don't like to talk so much about her. It is her life, and she do many dangerous things, is not good that people know her."  
  
"And how dangerous will be it for you? You know how find her." Jean-Paul said.  
  
Dinah looked him she took a sip of her coke. "I just let her a paper in an alley, I don't know where she lives, or what's is her name. I'm sure she will contact you as soon as would be possible for her."  
  
"Why you called me last night? Your voice was so worry."  
  
".Well. I need to talk with her. and as you and her had an appointment, I guess that maybe she was with you and I could talk with her." she looked her watch "Sorry Jean-Paul, it is late, I need go to my class."  
  
"Ok, I see you later." He gave her a kiss in her cheek. Dinah ran to her classroom. He followed her with his gaze. He just wanted a friend when she meet Dinah, but luckily she helped him to find Huntress, one of his targets. Now he just need find Barbara Gordon, but he first needed earn Huntress trust. He stood up and walk outside. He had an appointment in Arkham. 


	8. Lies

That night, Huntress was in front of the bathroom mirror. She stared at her face trying to remember who she was. Jean-Paul had told her that they had been friends for many years and that they were now partners in crime. In the morning he had reminded her of her activities, but she still couldn't remember anything. She washed her face and looked again in the mirror. She touched her lips slowly and then her cheeks, but she couldn't recognize her own eyes. That was a nightmare, she could only trust him, the only person that know who was she.  
  
They now had a special job to do, but he didn't tell her what it was. He had only told her that she must do a few jobs to practice before taking on his biggest job. That was reasonable, because she felt so insecure about her self.  
  
"You look great" Jean-Paul said as he entered her room and glanced appreciatively at her.  
  
"Yes? This is strange." she said walking out of the bathroom in a complete black costume.  
  
"You always wear it. Hey, where is the mask?" he looked around and took it from a table.  
  
"I wear a mask?" she asked "I don't like the masks."  
  
"You always use it." He smiled giving it to her. "Protection, the police don't know who you are."  
  
Huntress took the mask and looked at it uncomfortably. "No, I can't use it" and gave it back to him.  
  
"I told you that you are going to wear it!" He grabbed her. she looked at him with fright. "Fuck! Don't make me lose my patience! I'm your master! I taught you all you know stupid girl! You came to me to learn and you learned very well! We are losing time while you recover! All your life you used a mask! I can't allow you put my plan in risk just because suddenly you don't want wear it!"  
  
"It's just."  
  
"Wear the mask and shut up, It's late and we have work to do!" he released her. She rubbed her wrist, there were marks on her skin form where he had grabbed her.  
  
"Okay." she nodded and obeyed. Her heart beat faster, she was scared.  
  
His mobile phone rang and he went out of the room. Huntress put the mask over her head carefully, she had a gauze pad on the back of her head. She looked in the mirror and froze.  
  
Outside the room, Jean-Paul answered the phone, "Are you? I followed all the instructions that you gave me. I convinced her that she is Selina Kyle, but I need to see you, its urgent. tomorrow? Tonight I need to train her to help her to remember her abilities. I need go, I'll see you tomorrow."  
  
Jean-Paul returned to the room and saw Huntress with fixed on the mirror, he noticed the disturbed look on her face.  
  
"Hey, Kyle!" he shouted but Huntress didn't move, he walked to her and grabbed her by her arm "Kyle I'm talking to you!"  
  
"Sorry. I.I just thought I remembered seeing that image before." she said looking at the Catwoman mask.  
  
"Yes, it was you the way you've always been! Let's go, it's late."  
  
"Where are we going?"  
  
"To work, you need to start again with few things before our biggest plan. I don't want that you fail."  
  
* * *  
  
"Barbara!" Helena followed her around the Clock Tower, she was almost seventeen and her hair was still long and in a pony tail.  
  
"Helena Don't!" Barbara rolled her eyes.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because you lied to me!"  
  
"I didn't lie to you!"  
  
Barbara stopped the chair and turned it around to face Helena. "Every time you have an opportunity, you lie to me. Why couldn't you trust me?"  
  
Helena avoided her eyes and said in a soft voice. "I didn't lie to you."  
  
"No? Are you sure? What about that tattoo on your lower back?" Barbara asked.  
  
Helena blushed and looked down to her feet while she played with it. "What tattoo?"  
  
The red head crossed her arms and raised her brow. "Turn around please"  
  
"Barbara I didn't lie to you." Helena knew she was trapped.  
  
"Show me your back please."  
  
The girl didn't know what to do, she slowly turned. She had her hands laced behind her back.  
  
"Helena." Barbara glared to her.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Your hands move them." she moved her index finger.  
  
"My hands?" Helena asked innocently. She moved it and laced it in front of her. Barbara took a deep breath and waited a few seconds. The brunette didn't move.  
  
"Helena" Barbara said softly "you have to raise you blouse as well."  
  
"I don't have a tattoo."  
  
Barbara moved her head and with her hand she raised her blouse, Helena quickly turned around and put her hands on her back. She found the icy glare of Barbara. They both kept silent a few seconds. Barbara felt really upset, she had been trying to be open with her but she wouldn't let her in, she always avoided her. She knew she was hurt and angry because of her mother's murder less than a year ago, but she couldn't help her if she didn't want it. Maybe more than upset she felt frustrated about not being able to help her feel better.  
  
"And?" the red head asked finally.  
  
Helena lowered her head.  
  
"Why did you do that? We've been talking about this. You know that I don't like tattoo's and you promised me you wouldn't do it! What are you trying to prove Helena? That you're mad with your life and your trying to show your disobedience? Are you trying to punish the life, punishing me? Maybe you haven't noticed, but let me remind you, that at this moment I don't have many reasons to feel happy about my life. I'm trapped in this damn wheelchair and it's difficult, really difficult trying to keep going, but I need to fight, I need to fight every day not to surrender, because of me. and because of you."  
  
Helena didn't move, she had her head down. Barbara had a good reason to be mad, she knew she was so unfair with her, but she couldn't avoid being that way, she couldn't avoid rubbing her anger off on Barbara.  
  
"Look at me." Barbara asked with sweet voice. "Please Helena look at me." The girl raised her head and Barbara took her hand "I know that I never could be the way your mother was, but I'm trying to help you, I'm trying to give you a home, I'm trying to give you love, but your avoiding me, you refuse to let me help you. How could I help you if you don't let me in? Let me help you to not feel alone. I know what you have a lot of pain inside..."  
  
"You don't know, you couldn't know" Helena pulled her hand and stepped back, Barbara was trying to enter dangerously near her feelings and she couldn't allow it. "you couldn't know!!!"  
  
"Helena."  
  
"You couldn't!!!" Helena ran to the balcony. Barbara looked after her with sadness, she lowered her head and put her elbows in her legs and covered her head with her hands. It was frustrating trying to help her, she was suffering and she couldn't avoid it. She had been trying to give her the best of her self but that didn't help the girl much.  
  
She took a deep breath, she needed to try something else, she couldn't leave her alone, and she wasn't going to leave her alone.  
  
***  
  
Barbara woke up abruptly, she had been dreaming, she rubbed her eyes and watched the clock, It was four o'clock in the morning. She rested her head against the pillow and locked her gaze on the ceiling. She felt trapped in a moment from many years ago, helpless and frustrated to try and help her unsuccessfully. She didn't have an idea about what would happen to her. Maybe that was the worst, the uncertainty.  
  
But she had never left Helena alone, and she wasn't about to do it now. She knew that she was the only person that could help her and she was going to find her, no matter how much time it would take.  
  
* * *  
  
Jean-Paul entered the maxim security cell, he sat in a chair. In front of him, behind the glass was a woman, blond hair, with her eyes covered. Behind him 3 policeman with rifles. A strong glass separate him from the woman.  
  
"And?" she asked.  
  
"She had as you said traumatic amnesia, that blow to her head was really strong. I gave her all the info that you gave me about her abilities and her mother, I convinced her she is Selina Kyle, Catwoman, her mother. She was against the idea of wearing a mask, but I just shouted a little at her." He explained in low voice.  
  
"She could recover her memory in any moment."  
  
"Yes, I know that the memory slowly or suddenly returns a few days later, for that reason I must hurry. With the robberies that she is doing I'm collecting enough money to start your plans as soon as you get out of here."  
  
"When are you going to do it?"  
  
"Now she trusts me, and she trusts in her abilities, we should do it soon."  
  
"And after that we could finish our business with Barbara Gordon. Your father is going to be happy when he hears this." 


	9. Catwoman

Huntress filled her bag with the diamonds from a security box. This was a good night. She put her tools inside as well, closed the security box, secured her bag and jumped into the air conditioner duct. Soon she was on the rooftop and walked to the edge. That building was high and she needed to use a rope make it down. She secured the rope around her waist in a belt.  
  
"Hey you, don't move" a security guard shouted. He took out his radio and called for backup.  
  
Huntress didn't think, she just jumped. The guard shoot at her. She tried to go down as faster as possible listening to a rain of bullets hit around her. She swung to avoid being hurt. The security guard ran where the rope was tied and shoot the knot with his gun breaking the rope. Huntress felt the robe brake and fell down, she turned in the air and landed on her feet, fortunately she was just 4 floors from the sidewalk.  
  
As soon as she put her feet on the floor. Another shoot passed next to her left leg. Two police men were pointing at her. They had heard the call of the security guard. She jumped into a large flower pot for covered. The lights in the garden and the alarms turned on.  
  
"Shit." she mumbled. Her heartbeat increased, she tried to think what to do, now she was in a big trouble. She didn't have time, she stood up and run to the fence, the bullets crashed next to her feet. She jumped over the fence and ran into the street. Two cars exited from the back entrance of the casino and followed her. She needed a building to jump up and ran away but that casino was just surrounded by gardens. The buildings were a bit farther away. Had she ever been in a situation like this one? How would she know it? She wished she could remember what she had done in a moment like that one.  
  
Suddenly she saw a police car coming towards her at high speed, to her right was a brick wall, she ran as fast as she could, but the police car was too close. A police officer took out his gun and shoot at her before she could jump the wall, she turned around violently and fell downwards on the grass.  
  
The two other police men stopped the police car a few meters from her and ran with their guns pointing at her. She was not moving. One of them kicked her lightly in her leg but she didn't move. The police officer closest to her checked for a pulse.  
  
"Did I get her." He said to his partner. Suddenly she turned and hit him with her fist, taking his pistol as well. Before his partner could react she was over him and kicked him twice. She ran to the brick wall and jumped over it.  
  
She landed on her feet and ran as fast as she could to the nearest building. She was safe.  
  
* * *  
  
Dinah could feel how sad Barbara was. She had heard her crying in the night. She just said a few words, but their meals were otherwise silent with her mind lost in her thoughts. The blonde felt all the weight on her shoulders looking for Huntress. She had been looking for her in the streets, asking around downtown, but she couldn't find a trace of her. She didn't have the experience that she needed in the crime-fighting job for getting information from the streets.  
  
Barbara and the brunette had a special connection, their personalities were opposites, but they had grown together, and her own tragedy had created between them the ties that bind. She felt helpless that she couldn't make Barbara feel better.  
  
"Hi Dinah." She never heard her mentor come in.  
  
"Hey Barbara, How do you feel?."  
  
"Not well, but I need to keep working." She stopped her wheelchair next to her in the cornice of the balcony.  
  
The blond girl lowered her head "Barbara, I'm sorry."  
  
"Why"  
  
"I'm not being much help. I never could be like her. I'm trying, but I can't."  
  
"Be like who?"  
  
"Helena."  
  
"Wait a minute Dinah, what are you talking about?" Barbara was surprised.  
  
"I try and try" Dinah said almost crying and hugged her arms about herself, "But I can't be like her, I'm sorry. If I were lost she surely would find me. but I can't find her."  
  
"Dinah, you can't be like her, you must not be like her" Barbara realized in that moment that she had been so beside herself that she had forgotten about Dinah's feelings as well. The loss of Helena hurt her too. "I don't want you to be her. I want you to be yourself. And you are doing your best. We're all doing everything we possibly can to bring her back, and we will bring her back."  
  
"I'm just feeling so bad, I miss her."  
  
"I know, I know, but we will find her, I promise you."  
  
The Delphi alarm sounded; Barbara and Dinah went inside. Dinah was the first one in front of the computer, the red head arriving a few seconds after.  
  
"A police report.another robbery, and guess what it was. A security box in a casino." Dinah explained. "Diamonds."  
  
"It's the fourth casino in less than a week." Barbara watched the screen. "Another clean one, security systems, guards, cameras, is nothing working?"  
  
"No, the police reported a woman this time, she escaped."  
  
"I have my suspicions Dinah." Barbara put on her eyeglasses.  
  
"Suspicions?"  
  
"The robberies. I have a feeling about them. "  
  
"What suspicions?"  
  
Barbara kept silence, she turned to face her. "Do you trust in Jean-Paul?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I have a bad feeling about him."  
  
"That's the something Huntress told me about...That she felt her senses heighten every time he was near her and she couldn't avoid it."  
  
"That's what you Huntress said?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I guess that it would be good for you to follow him." Barbara put her fingers on the bridge of her nose. She felt really tired.  
  
"Okay, I promise. Why don't you go rest? You haven't been sleeping well the last few days."  
  
"Yes, I think you are right" she yawned. "I need a little sleep."  
  
* * *  
  
Huntress stepped into the kitchen, she threw the bag with diamonds on the table and took off her mask. She took a glass of water and sat in a chair. She looked at the mask, she really hated that thing, she had all her face and hair covered in sweat.  
  
"Hey what happen?" Jean-Paul asked walking in.  
  
"I felt like a fucking rabbit being hunting by dogs."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Police. A security guard saw me and called all the damn department." Huntress took a towel and cleaned her face. "stupid mask."  
  
"The diamonds?" Jean-Paul felt worried.  
  
"The diamonds are here!" Huntress glared at him and opened the bag in the table "But I'm okay, don't worry, the guys almost shot me but I could ran fast enough to avoid them, thanks for asking."  
  
"Dear, you always find an open door to escape." He looked the diamonds and smiled.  
  
"What are we going to do with all these money? Why are you keeping it?"  
  
"Oh, sorry, I forgot, you forget it all. We are going to take control of this city and we need buy equipment and people to do it."  
  
"And when will be that?"  
  
"Be patient my friend, be patient."  
  
"Exactly which kind of team we are?" Huntress crossed her arms in the table "I do all the jobs and you just sit back and enjoy? This is how it works? I don't like it so much."  
  
"Its not time for a moment of rebelliousness, avoid trying to be smart with me, okay?" he pointed at her "I'm trying to help you because you don't remember shit! I can't give you all the responsibility of this until your memory back, so, I have enough problems trying to help you, I don't have time for your stubborn comments. Better shut up, or else all right?"  
  
Huntress bit her lip angry. He was right but she hated receiving orders, and she was tired of being a kind of puppet until that moment. She needed to be patient.  
  
"All right?" he shouted.  
  
"All right. " she said in bad mood standing up and walking to her room to take a bath. "Night."  
  
"Night Kyle." He looked at her go. He sighed with relief, he had to be careful. At any moment that girl could be out of control, but now he needed to keep her in calm. He needed her before she recovered her memory to finish his new plan.  
  
* * *  
  
Barbara was in her room she rested her head on the pillow. It was soft, very soft. Maybe she wouldn't sleep but would rest her back a while. Much time had passed since Helena had disappeared, she had never been gone so many days. Barbara felt dishearten, she was afraid that she was dead. And deeply afraid that she wouldn't be able to tell Dinah. Her mind wondered back again to that day, after Helena ran when she discovered her tattoo.  
  
* * *  
  
Barbara wheeled to the balcony looking for her, but the place was empty, it was alone. She had spotted her running there.  
  
Helena sat up near the top of the clock. She followed Barbara with her gaze in the silence. The red head wheeled to the corner. It as impossible, Helena couldn't jump so high. She kept still for a few seconds watching the lights of the city.  
  
"Why don't you come down so we can talk?" Barbara asked suddenly.  
  
"I'm okay here." Helena said in her place, resting her jaw on her knees, she hugged her legs with her arms.  
  
Barbara turned her wheelchair and raised her head to look at her. "I'm not mad at you because of your tattoo."  
  
"Not true."  
  
"I was mad because you don't trust me. You lie to me every time you have an opportunity. This is hard for me too Helena, it isn't easy. you lost your mother I lost my legs."  
  
"Could you stop talking about her please?" Helena replied with angry voice.  
  
"Okay, what do you want to talk about?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Are you unhappy living with me?"  
  
Helena didn't answer, she continued watching the city, her gaze lost in the night. "I'm sorry. I try to do my best but I'm not good at it, I don't know what to do or what to say to a teen such as yourself. You are younger and surely expected more from me. I understand, I know that its hard to live with some one who can't walk, a disabled person such as myself."  
  
Barbara lowered her head. "The people usually see us as a nuisance or useless because we can't do all the things that you could do. I can't blame you if you think that way, you are younger and need someone with more possibilities than me."  
  
Barbara paused and swallowed, she looked at her legs with sadness and passed one of her hands over them, she moved her hand back and forth slowly. She wished she could feel something but it was impossible.  
  
"A simple thing like going to bed or to the bathroom is a big effort for us." She added with low voice and smiled to her self remembering her first days in the wheelchair. "It cost me a lot, but finally I learned. I can't run, I can't jump. I know that you loved going on walks with Selina and that can I never do it..." Barbara's eyes were moist, she saw a pair of black shoes in front of her; she raised her head. Helena's blue eyes were shining in the night, she looked at her deeply.  
  
"I don't think that you are a nuisance." the girl said softly "I don't think that you're useless. You are amazing, really. Don't despise your self because of me, I'm not worth it. I'm sorry If I make you feel so bad."  
  
"Helena, you worth a lot, don't say that!"  
  
"I don't know what to feel, I don't know what to do. Many days I wake up feeling mad with my self. I run every day from myself, from my feelings, from my anger. and I can't find an exit. I can't find peace in any place. Barbara, it isn't you, it's me. I don't know what to do with myself, with my anger."  
  
"Let me help you."  
  
Helena stepped back. "I can't."  
  
"Do you trust me?."  
  
Helena avoided her look and nodded lightly.  
  
"So let me help you, let me in." Barbara asked taking her hand.  
  
"I can't" she whispered.  
  
"Just let me in Hel."  
  
"Sorry, I can't." Helena pulled her hand softly away and walked to the door.  
  
"Why can't you? Tell me."  
  
Helena stopped and bit her lip trying not cry.  
  
"Please Hel, tell me"  
  
"Because I don't want to love anyone else!" Helena didn't turn, her eyes were fixed on the floor "I don't want to lose other person; I don't want to feel this pain again... If I don't love, I don't feel." Helena walked back inside the Clock Tower. Barbara didn't know what to say, she just watched her disappear behind the door.  
  
* * *  
  
Barbara turned on her side and put her hand under the pillow. Those years had been difficult, but she never regretted it. She never regretted the moments that she had discovered Helena and her self. Helena was an important part of her life, she could never imagine when she accepted to be her mentor that the brunette would be so important for her. 


	10. Raining days

"Who is that woman?" Huntress asked Jean-Paul, she was dressed as Catwoman preparing her tools to leave.  
  
"We work with her. She trained me and she trained you." He explained. "I will take you to her after this work."  
  
"I feel that something is wrong, I feel."  
  
"Kyle dear" he caressed her cheek "You are the best, don't fail me now. This amnesia is just temporary. Trust me, let me help you, don't try to look into your mind, I could tell you who you are and that way it would be easier for you to remember."  
  
"It's not that." Huntress told to him "I have strange dreams, and it scares me."  
  
"Don't worry, I need you to focus on our work tonight, you are the best thief. New Gotham will always remember you. Now go, it's getting late."  
  
She nodded and walked outside. He saw her jumping to the next building and to the next. What an amazing girl, and he needed to take all advantage of her. He didn't have much time.  
  
* * *  
  
Dinah was on the rooftop of a hotel, behind a wall. Tonight this hotel held a main event, and would be a good target to the thieves. Keeping an eye on things was the most boring part of being a crime fighter. She only could be patient in that cold night. Suddenly she saw a thin silhouette leaving off the air conditioner duct.  
  
"Is saw a person Oracle " she said in low voice.  
  
::Who is it?::  
  
"I don't know, It's too dark."  
  
The silhouette stood up on the edge of the building and began shap a back in hr back. Suddenly the woman felt her presence and turned "Who is there?"  
  
"Is could ask you the same thing."Dinah said standing up.  
  
The woman ran to the edge trying to escape. Dinah ran behind her, but she was too fast. She jumped high and fell onto the next building. Dinah stood up on the edge of the building, but is was a very long distance she couldn't follow her. She saw her landing on the rooftop. The light of the building let her see her clearly. Dinah froze.  
  
"Oracle she ran away." she could finally said.  
  
::What happened?::  
  
"You are not going to believe this.."  
  
* * *  
  
At Clock Tower few hours later.  
  
"It was her Oracle. I saw her black mask and black costume," Dinah said pacing around the platform in the Clock Tower. It was Catwoman. She's a meta-human, she gotta be. How else could she climb into those ducts and leap over such a great distance? I." she stopped noticing that Barbara was staring into space.  
  
"Earth to Barbara, come in Barbara," Dinah asked waving a hand in front of her mentor's face. "Hey. are you okay?"  
  
"Huh?? Yeah I'm fine." Barbara said looking up a Dinah  
  
"Did you hear what I said?"  
  
"I did but I have this gut feeling that I can't explain. Never mind," she said waving a hand dismissively. Did you follow Jean-Paul?"  
  
"Yes but he just goes to school then to his job where he stays for the rest of the day," Dinah explained. "I've been tailing him all week but nothing of interest happened."  
  
Barbara started typing furiously on her keyboard while Dinah went on. "What about this Catwoman person?" Dinah asked. "I know it can't be Helena's mother but it's her costume!"  
  
"I'm not going to believe anything until I'm absolutely sure." Barbara wheeled around pointing at the monitor. "But now I think I know who she is. It was in front of me all the time and I didn't see it!"  
  
"What did you find out?" Dinah asked Barbara.  
  
" The police couldn't figure out that she was gaining access to the casinos through its air conditioning ducts. If she is thin enough she could easily fit inside them. Now if she is a meta like you said, jumping between those buildings wouldn't be a problem. She would not have the need for climbing equipment. All I had to do was rearrange the puzzles pieces until everything fell into place."  
  
"So what do we have to do?"  
  
"We need to trap her."  
  
* * *  
  
Huntress moved restlessly in her bed, she was dreaming, but she could feel the madness, the anger, the pain and the anguish in her heart. She could see herself, when she was younger. She was sitting at the bottom of a dark alley, it was raining and cold, but it didn't matter to her. She cried, hugging her legs, her face buried in them, she was soaked and trembling.  
  
"Oh my God! I had been looking for you all night!" she heard a woman's voice, she raised her head but she couldn't see her face, it was too dark.  
  
"Leave me alone" she sobbed.  
  
"Please, come back home."  
  
"I don't have a home." she looked away.  
  
The woman was in front of her now, she could feel that the woman tried to touch her but she refused the embrace. "Please, let me in, I know how you feel." the woman said.  
  
"No! you don't!" she shouted "You didn't loose your mother! Go away!"  
  
".I not only lost my mother, I lost my father too, and I was even younger than you. I felt like you. like my whole world was broken."  
  
"Leave me alone!" she covered her head with her hands.  
  
"No, I couldn't, you will get sick if you stay here you are too important for me, and if it's necessary I will be here with you all night."  
  
"I can't. I can't love anyone else, I told you, leave me alone." Huntress sobbed and rested her forehead on the wet wall and bit her nails, she was cold and was trembling. "I can't."  
  
The woman continued talking to her "I lost my parents when I was a child, and it hurt me a lot, as you are hurting now. It was hard, so hard. I moved around as much as you, I left my home, my memories, my happy childhood suddenly. I moved to live with an uncle. A lovely uncle that never couldn't replace my parents but he gave me the best of him, all his love. He made me feel that I wasn't alone. That I had a new father."  
  
The woman touched her shoulder and this time the girl didn't refuse the touch. "I know that I can't help you heal that lost sense that you feel now. I don't want to be your mother, I want just to be your friend. I want you to understand that I love you, that I'm going to do my best to help you. I don't want you to feel that you are alone in this world, I know how much it hurts to loose your parents."  
  
Huntress turned her face and looked at her. She tried to focus on her but she couldn't.  
  
"I don't want you to think that you don't have a home." The woman smiled, she could see her smile but not her face "You have one, your home, our home, not the same that we had with our parents but it's ours. You are now my family, please; don't leave me alone, I love you."  
  
Huntress jumped in her arms crying desperate "I miss her, I want to see her again! Please, I want to see her!"  
  
"It's impossible, she is dead" the woman was crying with her "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, if I could bring her back to you, I would, but I can't."  
  
"I can't go on with all this pain, I can't!" she sobbed resting her head on her shoulder "I don't want to feel this way! Please help me, I don't want to feel like this!"  
  
The woman hugged her strongly. Huntress felt warmth and comfort in her arms, she felt that she wasn't alone, she felt protected, a feeling that she had missed since her mother had died. But she couldn't give her heart to that that woman, she couldn't.  
  
Huntress woke up sweating and breathing fast. She looked around scared, the anguish inside her was real, as that dream was also so real. She took the blankets off and went to the bathroom. She turned on the water and washed her face for long minutes.  
  
Huntress took the towel and cleaned her face, she looked in the mirror and saw her eyes, they were in feral form. She screamed throwing the towel away, she stumbled and fell on the floor. Suddenly she realized that the light was off, she looked around scared. The room was dark, but she could see clearly on it.  
  
Huntress felt as if she was living a nightmare. She looked up to the mirror and stood up. She looked again at her eyes in the glass, they were like those of a cat. Maybe she was a kind of a monster and she was changing. She heard the door open, she ran to hide in a corner of the bathroom. He couldn't see her eyes, maybe he would kill her if he discovered that she was a monster. He had told her that she attacked him, maybe then she had changed like she did now, and she would attack him again.  
  
"Kyle?" Jean called her and turned the light in the room on, she could see the light entering through the bathroom door. "Where are you?"  
  
Huntress was trembling, sure he would kill her. He walked in and saw her in the corner hiding her face.  
  
"What happened Kyle?" he asked kneeling in front of her.  
  
"Go away, I can hurt you!"  
  
Jean could see that she was truly scared "Kyle what happened?" he took her face in his hand and forced her to look up at him. He saw her feral eyes. "What happened?"  
  
"I'm changing, I can hurt you again. Go away." She looked down scared.  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"You told me I attacked you, I don't remember why, maybe because I'm a freak, look at my eyes, they are not human, maybe I'm changing now. I could hurt you. Go!"  
  
Jean laughed. "Ah, is that it? Kyle, you have special abilities, this is one of them."  
  
"Another one?" Huntress looked at him confused. "I can jump and move fast, as you told me. So, my eyes in this stat help me to see clearly in the dark?"  
  
"Yea, hey, this is new for me. I knew your eyes changed when you feel in danger. But now I see it works as cats eyes as well."  
  
"Am I a cat?"  
  
"Something like that, remember your costume." He stood up and gave her his hand "Come on, go to sleep, it's late."  
  
"Jean, I can't remember. You know me well? I lost my parents?"  
  
"Why are you asking me that?"  
  
"I had a nightmare. I was in an alley crying because I lost my parents. A woman came to me trying to comfort me, but I couldn't see her face."  
  
"As you said, it was just a nightmare." He smiled and hugged her "Everything will be fine, we just do one more work before our big punch. Don't worry, I'm sure you will remember soon." But before, I need to take you to meet a person that would help us. Jean knew he needed to move faster and be prepared, if she recovered her memory before, he couldn't finish his mission. He had to kill her. Huntress closed her eyes and rested her head in his shoulder. She felt so scared. 


	11. A visit to Arkham

Dinah walked to the Hummer, Jean-Paul intercepted her. She stopped when she heard her name. She kissed him on the cheek, he was a handsome guy, and sweet. The last time she saw him was a week ago.  
  
"Hi Jean Paul."  
  
"Sorry if I annoy you..." Jean-Paul said "Huntress never contacted me. I guess she doen't want to help me..."  
  
"She is missing Jean-Paul..." Dinah interrupted.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"She disappeared; I haven't heard anything about her since that day. I'm afraid something has happened to her" Tears formed in her yes.  
  
"I'm sorry Dinah, I didn't know."  
  
"I just hope she will be okay." she whispered.  
  
"May I help you?"  
  
"Thanks but, neither do I know where look for her. I just have wait until she appears." Dinah was crying, he hugged her.  
  
"Don't worry Di, I'm sure she is okay and will back soon."  
  
Dinah rested her head on his chest, she couldn't cry in front of Barbara. The red head couldn't see her broken, she needed her as support. But the anguish was killing her, she was dying to tell Jean-Paul to say who she was and who Huntress was, she needed talk about that but she couldn't, she could just cry.  
  
He just hugged her. "Dinah, I'm sorry. Does your parents know about her?"  
  
"I don't live with my parents, I have a tutor, or a mentor. She is a English school teacher here, Barbara Gordon."  
  
Jean-Paul was stunned. The woman that he was looking for worked at that school. And she was Dinah's tutor.  
  
So, that meant that Dinah knew Huntress more than what she let on. Harleen had told him about a blond girl with special powers that lived with Barbara and Huntress. Was she.  
  
* * *  
  
Dinah changed her clothes and walked down to the platform. Finding that Barbara wasn't there she started to call for her when the elevator doors opened and she rolled out.  
  
"Where were you?" Dinah asking.  
  
"Finishing up on some details" Barbara wheeled onto the platform handing a small gun to Dinah. She took it in surprise.  
  
"What is this?" the blond girl asked while Barbara stop in front of her monitor.  
  
"A stun gun that uses high voltage." The red head explained "The energy stored in the gun is transferred into the attacker's muscles causing them to do a great deal of work rapidly. The rapid work cycle instantly depletes the attacker's blood sugar by converting it to lactic acid. The attacker has no "energy" left in his muscles and the body is unable to function properly. It also interrupts the neurological impulses that control and direct voluntary muscle movement. When the attacker's neuromuscular system is overwhelmed by the stun gun, he loses his balance. He will be disoriented and immobilized. I improved the energy level to knock her unconscious."  
  
"Wow that was a long techno babble! What would happen if she touches me when I shoot her?"  
  
"Even if the attacker is touching or holding you, the stun gun current will not pass to your body so don't worry." Barbara explained.  
  
* * *  
  
The heavy door closed behind them. A woman was sitting in the middle of a glass cell, she had her eyes covered with a strange metallic mask with dark glasses, she could see them but them couldn't see her eyes. Jean walked to one of the chairs that are in front it. Helena followed him. She remembered that place, she had been there. She could felt the danger, her eyes changed and she realized that, but she didn't understand why. She avoided raise her head ashamed.  
  
Harleen smiled looking at her. Again she would be entirely hers, she just needed get out of there, and she would help her to get out. Jean-Paul was another genetic experiment as Guy, but he was improved. His friends had been programmed him to kill Barbara Gordon and finish Joker's work, he had all the information in his head. Find Huntress in the way helped her to change her plans a little, she will postpone Barbara's death while Helena helped her to escape from there. She looked up and down the girl.  
  
"Hi Kyle, many time ago." she said.  
  
Helena felt a shiver when she heard her voice and raised her head to see the blonde woman. There was something in her, something that she couldn't understand, something in her that make her feel afraid.  
  
"Kyle?" Jean-Paul moved her shoulder.  
  
"Yeah." she shook her head.  
  
"I see you remember me a bit. You and I had many fun moments." Harleen was enjoying the moment, she had Helena Kyle in front of her; she had the opportunity again to use her. "Planning our robberies. and some murders." She stood up in front of them and smiled waiting to see her reaction.  
  
Huntress blinked surprised ".Am I a killer?"  
  
"The best, fast and clean. You always told me it's a great pleasure have the life of people in your hands. Your skills in combat are mortal. Joker trained you, he is the prince of crime, you always was so proud of him. He is your master, and I'm your boss and your friend. I need you now my friend." Harleen said in sweet voice and kneeled, so she could see her face to face.  
  
"I. I can't remember well."  
  
"Don't worry girl, you will remember soon, while trust in us, as Joker said sometime "Madness is the emergency exit", remember always that. Don't fell that the insanity is bad, no, no, is fun, really fun. Are you going to help me Kyle?"  
  
Huntress looked the place where must be her eyes in that dark glasses. "Yes."  
  
"Listen to me, you are my right hand." Harleen smiled "As soon I'm free with your help, you will help me to finish an outstanding with Barbara Gordon."  
  
"Barbara Gordon? Who is she?"  
  
"A crime fighter, she caught me, thanks of God you could escape." Harleen kept talking to her in a soft voice that trapped Huntress senses. Jean could see the look of Huntress, she was almost hypnotized with it "We are dangerous for her. We need to kill her. You tried it before, but you couldn't, now is the moment."  
  
"Yes, we will do it." Huntress whispered.  
  
"You couldn't doubt this time, you need to act and fast, don't let her talk or act, you just must kill her. Understand? I can't admit a new mistake of you."  
  
"Okay."  
  
Harleen stood up. "Good. Jean-Paul will explain the details later. You and I are going to do great things again. Do you have a work tonight no?"  
  
"The last one" Jean-Paul smiled. "Harleen, I found the blond girl, the one that lives with hers, her name is Dinah. I know now what to do."  
  
"Okay, remember that she had strong mental powers, be careful. Hurry up, don't lose you time. I'll wait for you two here."  
  
Jean-Paul and Huntress stood up and walked to the door.  
  
"Kyle." Harleen said. The young girl stopped and turned her face.  
  
"Don't fail to me."  
  
"Never." Huntress answered.  
  
Harley smiled and crossed her arms. She had her again in her hands.  
  
* * *  
  
PRESENT.  
  
The grill of the air conditioner moved. A pair of hands took it off. A thin shadow jumped from the air duct to the floor. It was a dark room, a cashier office of a casino. She was dressed totally in black and wore a mask. She kneeled on the floor looking around. All was silent. There was a bookshelf over one of the walls, a desk with a big chair turned in the other side, and some shelves with boxes on the front wall.  
  
She walked to the safety box and put a bag with tools, that she had in her back on the floor. She worked on the box for several minutes. Finally she opened the door, she was sweating, it was too hot there. She froze when saw the safety box empty, she began to look in the selves inside it but it only had papers.  
  
"Shit!" she mumbled in through her teeth and threw the papers to the floor. Suddenly the light turned on, she was dazzled.  
  
"Are you searching for the money?" The chair next to the desk turned around, Dinah sat there with her hands crossed in front. "Sorry, It's not here, I took it to a safe place." Now, the blonde girl could see her clearly, that woman wore the Catwoman costume. "Who are you?"  
  
"Where is the money?" The Catwoman looked her angry.  
  
"I asked first, why are you wearing that costume?" Dinah stood up.  
  
"Bitch! Tell me where's the money!" The Catwoman walked toward, her fists in balls.  
  
"No, not until you explain to me first who you are!"  
  
Catwoman threw a Dinah at punch. The blond girl avoided it and hit her with her fist. Catwoman turned around and kicked her. Dinah smashed against the bookcase, several books fell to the floor. Huntress punched her in the face again and then in the stomach. Dinah pushed her back with her feet and she crashed against the desk.  
  
"You are going to die you stupid son of a bitch!" Catwoman put her hands around her throat and pressed hard. Dinah took her wrist with her hands trying to release her grip but she was too strong, she locked her eyes in hers. Catwoman felt something strange when she saw her blue pupils. She blinked disconcertedly. Dinah noticed her confusion and took out an electric gun that she had in her pocket and shot her. Catwoman groaned in pain and released her falling heavily to the floor.  
  
Dinah put her hand on her throat and looked her. Catwoman lay on the floor and moved her head slowly, her eyes rolled back and she passed out.  
  
"Uh." Dinah breathed with relief "she almost killed me..."  
  
::Are you all right?:: Barbara asked.  
  
"Yes." Dinah leaned over the unconscious woman. "She hits like a mule"  
  
::Who is she?::  
  
Dinah's heart was beating fast, she took the mask carefully off. When she saw her face, she couldn't say a word, shocked.  
  
:: Dinah?:: Barbara's voice took her off her surprise. ::Dinah are you alright?::  
  
"Barbara." Dinah mumbled "I found Huntress."  
  
* * *  
  
In the Clocktower, Barbara kept silent. She put her hands to her face and smiled, her feelings were correct. She breathed a sigh of relief. Huntress was alive, but something had happened to her. She didn't understand why Huntress was acting like her mother and why she was using her costume.  
  
::Oracle?:: Dinah's voice brought Barbara back from her thoughts  
  
"Bring her back, but put her in handcuffs first." Barbara finally replied.  
  
* * * Huntress didn't come back, Jean-Paul was pacing around the living room, it was 6 in the morning, something was wrong. He turned his computer on, Helena's tracking becon fired up. He could see her exact location.  
  
He began to localise the signal till it rested on the location of the Clocktower, "Damn!" He shouted.  
  
* * *  
  
(*) Joker to Com. Gordon in "The killing joke" 


	12. Home

Helena began to wake up. She tried to move but soon realized that she was bound securely by thick metallic bands across her arms and her chest to a metal chair. She then tried wiggling the chair but it was bolted to the floor. She realized that she didn't have on her mask and blamed the blond girl. Her eyes turned feline as she started struggled to get free. She suddenly heard an electric noise. Barbara wheeled inside the room. The brunette looked her surprised.  
  
"Helena." the red head said seeing she was now awake.  
  
"Who are you? The damned police? What kind of fucking place is this?"  
  
"My what colourful language." Barbara said puckering her forehead into a frown.  
  
"Fuck you!"  
  
"I'm not the police." Barbara took a deep breath. " Helena don't remember me?."  
  
"I dunno who the hell you are."  
  
"I am."  
  
"What's going on?" Dinah interrupted entering the lab. Then she noticed Helena's eyes. "Ah, she is awake and I imagine not very happy."  
  
"Ah. I see." Helena smirked "You are a super-wheel hero? And blondie is your super-partner huh. Does she push your chair into super high speed velocity."  
  
"Helena watch your mouth." Dinah said angrily.  
  
"My name is not Helena!!!! Who the hell are you?" she yelled pulling at the bands that held her. "What do you want? Let me go!"  
  
"Helena." the red head tried to keep her voice calm.  
  
"I said my name is not Helena! Tell me what kind of fucking place is this!"  
  
"Okay, okay, calm down. Your name is Helena Kyle and you are a crime fighter. We have been working together for seven years then 3 weeks ago you disappeared."  
  
"Yea, and my father is Sylvester and you are Tweety, ok, have fun."  
  
"At least she remembers her bad sense of humour." Dinah whispered to Barbara.  
  
"Your father is Bruce Wayne." Barbara tried to explain.  
  
Helena laughed loudly. "What? Are you nuts? Me the daughter of a millionaire? Stupid bitch! If I was his daughter I will be out spending money and not here."  
  
"This is the last time I will tell you to watch your mouth!" Barbara shouted pointing at her.  
  
Helena locked her eyes on her. They were two black lines over a golden iris. Barbara could feel a shiver running up and down her back as did Dinah. If glare of those eyes could kill they would all be dead now. Helena was another person.  
  
"We are trying to help you. I'm not lying, we are partners, I don't know what happened to you. Maybe you have been brainwashed or hypnotized but be sure that we are going to help you to remember."  
  
"I don't need yours or anyones!" she ground her teeth tugging at the metal bands again.  
  
"Helena, you and I are friends."  
  
"Friend my ass! I never saw you before!"  
  
"Your mother was Selina Kyle, she was murdered."  
  
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Helena ranted glaring at her "I'm Selina Kyle!"  
  
"You are who???" Barbara looked at her surprised.  
  
"Catwoman, fuck!" she shouted fighting for release. "Let me go!"  
  
"Selina Kyle you?. who told you that?"  
  
" No one. That's my name!" Helena said.  
  
"I'll ask again. Who told you that?"  
  
"I'm ...! That's enough!"  
  
"Helena thinks she is her Mom?" Dinah asked confused "Barbara that's crazy!"  
  
"Madness is the emergency exit.(*)" Helena gave her an evil look and smirked.  
  
The expression on Barbara's face froze. "What did you said?" she hissed.  
  
"I said Madness is the emergency exit! Are you deaf?"  
  
"Who told you to say that?" Barbara asked locking eyes with Helena.  
  
"What is your fucking problem?" Helena answered angry.  
  
Barbara slapped her and shouted "Tell me who the hell told you that!"  
  
Dinah was frightened by Barbara's reaction. Helena was just as surprised.  
  
"What's the matter with you?" The brunette asked.  
  
"Are you working with the Joker?" Barbara asked feeling her heart leap up into her throat.  
  
"Wha."  
  
"Are you?" Barbara yelled.  
  
"Yes!" Helena shouted lunging against her restraints "I'm working with him! He is my master! He taught me everything I know! New Gotham soon will be ours, and you and your stupid blond friend couldn't stop us!"  
  
Dinah was stiff with shock unable to speak. Barbara put her hand over her mouth. She couldn't believe what she had just heard come out of Helena's mouth.  
  
"That's not possible!" Barbara said confused "It couldn't be! He is in jail!"  
  
"I see you know him." Helena smirked "Good. So it isn't necessary to tell you that he would kill you if you don't let me go."  
  
Barbara wheeled out of the lab with Dinah hurrying to catch up.  
  
"And now what?" Helena shouted after them still fighting to get loose. "Hey! Come back!"  
  
Barbara rolled up onto the platform and started typing on the keyboard. Dinah followed her in silence. "Son of bitch." Barbara said in low voice almost crying "What did he do to her?"  
  
"What happened? I don't understand why she would say something like that? Why you were so mad? What did she mean that 'Madness is the emergency exit'"  
  
"The Joker said that to my dad after he shoot me." Barbara explained concerned. Dinah said nothing but placed a comforting hand on Barbara's shoulder. "I don't understand, he is still in jail. It looks like somehow she has been brainwashed. I need to conduct a scan her brain. Please go back into the lab and put the scanner over her head."  
  
"Got it."  
  
* * *  
  
Helena was frustrated, she was still immobilized in the chair. She saw Dinah walking toward her. "And now what, blondie?"  
  
"My name is Dinah. We are going to help you. wheter you wish it or not." Dinah pushed a button and the dome settled over Helena's head.  
  
"Hey. what is this?" Helena asked. "What are you doing? That read head and you."  
  
"That read head is trying to figure out what happened to you and help you." Dinah adjusted the dome. "It's ready!" she shouted.  
  
A green light turned on and began to move around Helena's head slowly. "What is this?" she asked again.  
  
"Don't worry, don't kill. You are Helena Kyle, The Huntress" Dinah said crossing her arms in front of her "Somehow this person managed to make you believe that you are Catwoman."  
  
"I'm Catwoman bitch!"  
  
"Catwoman was your mother, she died seven years ago. You are a Crime fighter."  
  
"And you're saying I'm nuts? You and your friend really need a shrink."  
  
"It's done Dinah" Barbara called from the other room.  
  
"Ok." Dinah took off the dome of Helena's head.  
  
"Why did you bring me here?" Helena asked "Why didn't take me to the police? What do you want?"  
  
"And you used to say I talk a lot." Dinah sighed and looked at her "Okay, first question: We lost you 3 weeks ago. I found you and brought home. Second question: Because you are our friend and you are so special to us. Third question: we want help you."  
  
"How long are you going to keep me here?"  
  
"Until you are back to your old self."  
  
Helena grumbled while Dinah exited the lab. Helena was pondering what to do, she struggled trying to get free. She suddenly stopped fighting, it was impossible to break the metallic bands. Who are those women that say they are her friends? It couldn't be, if that was true she would remember.  
  
Her anger grew and she groaned loudly, she felt frustrated, and the fact that she couldn't remember who they were didn't help her very much. Dinah and Barbara were working in the other side of the lab, they heard her and turner her head.  
  
"That was a big 'meouw'" Dinah said. "She is really pissed, I never listen her scream as that."  
  
Barbara sighed and moved her head "Let her alone a while, we need focus in understand what is happening."  
  
"What did you find?" she asked.  
  
"This is interesting. See that?" Barbara pointed to the screen "It's a bruise and a bad one at that. She took a strong blow to her head."  
  
"What means that?"  
  
"It is a strong indication that she could have amnesia."  
  
"Amnesia?"  
  
"Yeah. She would have had to be in a fight to receive such a strong blow. Our impersonator must have noticed her memory lapse and took full advantage of it."  
  
"But this person must be connected to the Joker or believes is the Joker."  
  
"And for that reason this could be really dangerous."  
  
Helena groaned loudly again.  
  
"How are you going to bring her back?" Dinah asked keeping an eye on her "You can't keep her confined forever."  
  
"There are medicines that would help her overcome her memory loss," Barbara explained "but first I need determine what form of amnesia she is suffering from. Stay here, I need something from my room. Be back in just a minute."  
  
As Barbara wheeled herself to her room, she listened the meows of Helena. She was lost in her thoughts *Guess she is really pissed now. Trying to bring her back is going to take quite a bit of time. Whoever it was, they had done a thorough job in brainwashing Helena. He must have intimate knowledge of Helena's and her mother's life. Now Barbara, two problems to solve: first trying to find who is behind this and second trying to restore Helena's memory. As Dinah said, we can't keep her confined forever. *  
  
Barbara went to her closet to change her blouse. She opened the door and she moved her clothes searching for something, she suddenly found a dark blouse, it wasn't hers, it was Helena's, she always used to leave her clothes around the Clocktower. She took it and she closed her eyes.  
  
She had taken Helena back to Clock Tower after she had found her in the alley and almost obliged her to take a shower, the night was freezing and she had been outside, soaked to the bone for many hours. She too took a bath and then left Helena sleeping, she went to her room to rest, it had been a long night.  
  
Helena woke up a few minutes later, she looked around all was silent and dark. Barbara had gone. She stared at the wall for a few seconds, lost in her thoughts she felt alone. She stood up and approached Barbara's bedroom. She stopped in front of the door several minutes looking at the lock; she stepped back, she thought it was a mistake being there. Lowering her head, she walked to her room, but she walked two steps and stopped again. She turned her head looking back at Barbara's room; she didn't know what to do.  
  
Barbara couldn't sleep, she felt so sad for the girl. She heard the door open slowly; she didn't move, she knew it was the girl; a few seconds later she heard the door close, but she didn't hear her steps. Barbara sighed deeply; Helena still didn't trust her, she had returned to her room.  
  
Suddenly she felt a weight on her mattress; the girl really was very silent. Helena maked herself comfortable on a small space of the bed, trying to not annoy Barbara. The red head smiled, she waited a few seconds before she rolled on her side and looked her. Helena had curled herself over the blankets and had her eyes closed, trying to sleep; she looked like a little angel.  
  
Barbara pulled the bedspread that was at the bottom of the mattress over and covered her. Barbara brushed her hair "Good night." she gave her a kiss on her forehead, before turning to the other side.  
  
"Night." Helena said.  
  
Barbara felt better knowing that the girl began to open herself up to Barbara in her way. She had fallen asleep when she heard Helena's soft voice.  
  
"Barbara."  
  
"Mmm?"  
  
"Why do you take care of me?"  
  
"Because you are important to me."  
  
"But..I'm not a part of your family. I'm just a daughter of a friend."  
  
Barbara opened her eyes and turned to look at her. Helena was looking at her with her feral pupils. "You are wrong, you are my family, you aren't just the daughter of a friend; it's not necessary to have the same blood to take care of somebody or to love them, keep that in mind always. You worth so much, don't feel less than anyone"  
  
"Okay. Night." Helena turned her back to her.  
  
"Night." Barbara closed her eyes, she rested her back in the mattress, she felt so tired.  
  
"And what if I don't want you to be my family?" Helena's asked.  
  
"You can go." Barbara said sleepy "but I don't think you would like being back at in Federal custody. You have a certain aversion to the law and rules."  
  
Helena kept silent a few seconds and rolled over, she had her eyelids closed. "And what if I want to go live alone?"  
  
"You are an awful cook." Barbara answered "If you want to commit suicide it's your problem, not mine."  
  
Helena rested her back on the mattress and looked at the ceiling. "Maybe I would come here for breakfast and dinner."  
  
"I'm warning you, I'm not a good cook either." Barbara mumbled.  
  
"So. what have we been eating the last few months?" Helena asked without moving her eyes from the ceiling.  
  
"I buy food, or Alfred help me, but if you leave I wouldn't have the responsibility to feed you anymore. I will start to preparing my marvellous egg sandwiches again."  
  
"I don't like eggs. better keep buying food." Helena played with her fingers, Barbara didn't answer her. The brunette examined the room with her eyes, she'd never been there, it was her first time there, not because Barbara prohibited her from going there, it was because she tried to keep her distance from her mentor.  
  
Barbara was almost asleep when Helena interrupted her with another question "And what happen if I one day I hit you? You will still want to take care of me?"  
  
"Yes." Barbara sighed and rolled to her side "because before you could even touch me, I assure you, you will be lying on the floor, and I will hit you so hard that you never would think of raising your hand against me."  
  
Helena laughed, it was the first time Barbara heard her laughing in the last few months. She smiled. Helena covered her shoulders with the bedspread. "Night." she said.  
  
"Night" Barbara was starting to dream when she heard Helena's voice again.  
  
".Barbara."  
  
"Yes." she said drowsily.  
  
"I love you."  
  
* * * 


	13. Run away

Helena had been screaming for almost 10 minutes when she suddenly fell silent. Dinah unsettled by the quiet, walked to the part of the lab where she was tied. Helena's head sagged against her chest, eyes closed. Her breath was coming out in wheezes. Something was wrong she thought as walked closer to her. Helena opened her eyes slowly.  
  
"Dinah." the brunette mumbled "I don't feel so good."  
  
"Helena?" Dinah looked her. "Do you recognize me?"  
  
"Help me." she said in low voice. "My chest hurts."  
  
"What's wrong? Are you okay?" Dinah looked at her worried.  
  
"My chest hurts Dinah."  
  
Dinah took her face between her hands. "Helena?"  
  
"I can't. I can't." Helena fainted.  
  
Dinah was scared. "Barbara!" she shouted clapping Helena cheeks "Something wrong with Helena!"  
  
Dinah ran to the computer pushing a button to open the metallic bands on her arms and legs to take her to the infirmary. As soon as they clicked open Helena's eyes snapped opened and she jumped quickly to Dinah's side. Before she could react Helena balled her fists together bringing them soundly down on the back of Dinah's head. She crumpled soundlessly to the floor.  
  
"Sorry blondie." Helena brushed her hair back "I need go." She looked around and ran to the elevator. Without realizing it she entered the code key to unlock it and let it whisk her away to freedom.  
  
Barbara and Alfred rushed to the lab when they heard Dinah cry out. From the corner of her eye Barbara saw the elevator doors close. She knew instantly that Helena was gone. Entering the lab they found Dinah groggily sitting up rubbing the back of her head. Alfred eased Dinah to her feet and seated her in Helena's abandoned chair.  
  
"Dinah are you okay?" the red head asked gently prodding the lump on her head.  
  
Dinah looked at her confused "Helena!" she said "Where is Helena?" She struggled to stand.  
  
Barbara held her back "Easy Dinah."  
  
"Where is she?" the blond girl looked around.  
  
"She's gone."  
  
"It's all my fault!" she covered her face with her hands "I was so stupid!"  
  
"What happened?" Barbara asked.  
  
"She tricked me by pretending to be sick so that I would release her. Then she blindsided me. Next thing I know is that I'm on the floor and you two rush in.. I was so stupid Barbara!"  
  
"It's not your fault. It's the fault of this person who is pretending to be Joker. It must be someone who is close him. How else would he know the phrase that Joker told to my father after he shot me? He knows all about Catwoman. I'm afraid that he is also aware of who Helena is and possibly who I was."  
  
"But." Alfred interrupted "I don't understand, what is he planning? Why is he looking for her?"  
  
"I don't know what he is up to. Somehow Helena stumbled upon him and discovered his plans. And knowing Helena, as we all do, she tried to stop him. They must have fought and she took a bad blow to the head causing the memory loss. He took advantage of her."  
  
Dinah was still confused "But if he knew all about Catwoman's life and that Helena had a connection with her.." Dinah trailed off. "There is only one person who that knows that. its gotta ."  
  
".Be Harley." Barbara finished for her wheeling to the computer "This guy has had dealings with her."  
  
Barbara began typing quickly. Dinah and Alfred remained silent as they watched red head work.  
  
* * *  
  
Huntress felt a great relief to be jumping again from rooftop to rooftop. It was something she was sure that she loved regardless of whoever she was, but she still felt strange. She began to run, moving faster and faster with each step. Instinct told her to escape, but she didn't know who she was fleeing from. She felt the burning in her lungs as they begged for more air but she couldn't stop. She couldn't think, all she wanted to was to run away. from her own shadows.  
  
Jean-Paul saw that the blip was moving indicating that Helena was on the move but she was not heading for his home. She was moving quickly to some unknown location. He guessed she had escaped but was confused. He sat in a chair biting his knuckles. Grabbing the phone off the table he punched in some numbers.  
  
* * *  
  
"Miss Dinah, Jean-Paul is asking for you." Alfred interrupted. She was working with Barbara on the system.  
  
"Not now Alfred." Dinah said.  
  
"He says it is important. Something about Huntress."  
  
Dinah and Barbara looked at each other in silence. Dinah stood up and answered the phone.  
  
"Jean-Paul? Hi! Whats going on?"  
  
"What happen with her?"  
  
suddenly the conversation was off.  
  
"Jean-Paul?" Dinah asked "Jean-Paul? Damn it. I need go Barbara."  
  
"Something wrong?" Barbara took off her glasses.  
  
"Jean-Paul said he knows where is Huntress but his cell phone went dead before he could tell me where is she." Dinah took her coat off the back of a chair. "He is coming for me, I'll wait him for him downstairs. I'll call you as soon as possible."  
  
"Be careful Dinah, she really thinks is Catwoman."  
  
* * *  
  
Huntress was in front of a black fence. She scaled it in one leap and walked up to the big residence. She moved through the gardens and entered by the way of the back door. Something in this place called her. The place was dark. She began to walk slowly around, looking down the corridors and at the furniture. Somethings were familiar but at the same time hateful.  
  
* * *  
  
Barbara heard the alarm of the security system of Wayne Manor, she wheeled to the computer on her right side hitting a couple buttons on the keyboard. Alfred stood up next to her. Barbara pulled up on the screens the video of the security cameras.  
  
"It's Huntress." she said looking the girl running in the gardens.  
  
"What is she doing there?"  
  
"If she felt disoriented, her inner memories are guiding her to that place." Barbara turned on the mic "Dinah are you with Jean-Paul? I know you can't answer me but Huntress just entered Wayne Manor. Try to be there as soon as possible." Barbara wheeled to a side cabinet. "I need to go her."  
  
"Transponder?" Alfred asked worry.  
  
"Yes, I got to bring her back. Don't worry Dinah will be joining me in a few minutes."  
  
What Barbara didn't know was that as soon as Dinah had sat down in Jean- Paul's car, he sprayed something in her face immediately rendering her unconscious. Quickly he tied her up and stashed her in the back the van. 


	14. Confusion

Huntress had been walking around the enormous manor, she went upstairs and opened all the doors. She didn't know what was she looking for. When she opened the last one she was inside a big bedroom, she turned on the light. There was a chimney, and over it hung a picture, she walked over to it. It was an old picture, a blond woman with a little girl in her arms, both were smiling.  
  
Huntress felt something strange, her heart began to beat faster, her mind was cloudy; everything spun around her. She felt her knees weaken and put her hands on the chimney to prevent herself from falling. She was blinded by flashes of light in front of her, she saw images of the Clock Tower, and an ancient man in a black suit and that red head woman talking and smiling at her. Her mind was in the middle of a whirlwind, the images were washed over her like a waterfall, the red head, the blond girl. She fell to the floor taking her haead in her hands.  
  
Barbara walked inside the manor looking for her, carefully she walked down the long corridors, finally she found her in Bruce's bedroom curled up in a ball with her head in her hands. She had been there for a long time. Barbara felt her heart jump. "Helena." she mumbled.  
  
The girl raised her head, Why did she turn? That wasn't her name. It was the red head again standing up in the doorway. How had she found her, and why was she walking? She had seen her in a wheelchair. Barbara looked at her concerned, the girl's face showed the terrible confusion that was inside her. Barbara felt her heart jump. "Helena, I'm Barbara."  
  
"My name is Selina." The brunette stood up hesitantly.  
  
"Helena let me help you, listen to me please." Barbara asked.  
  
"My damn fucking name is not Helena" she shouted "Can't you see it? Can you hear me?"  
  
"Because I see you I'm telling you that you aren't Selina Kyle, you are Helena, her daughter."  
  
Huntress was dazed; the annoying flashes were back, her, the blond girl. She blinked and shook her head. "No, I'm Catwoman. I'm Selina." She stepped back.  
  
"Helena, Selina is your mother's name, your mother was murdered almost eight years ago." Barbara walked slowly inside the room.  
  
"No!"  
  
"Do you know why are you here? This is your father's home, Bruce Wayne's manor."  
  
Huntress looked around, she didn't know what she was doing there, her feet just took her there. She was in a bedroom, an unknown bedroom.  
  
"You are her daughter, he never met you." Barbara explained "Your mother hid your birth from him. After your mother was murder you came to live with me at the Clock Tower, I was your mentor, I'm your friend."  
  
"No, no!" Huntress shouted "Joker is my mentor, he trained me, I'm the fucking Catwoman! You are trying to confuse me because you know that I must kill you!"  
  
"Look behind you! Look at that picture!" Barbara saw the photo over the chimney and pointed to it "That is Selina, that's your mother and the girl is you! Don't you recognize yourself? Those people are lying to you, I can prove it Helena. You lost your mother when you were sixteen. The Joker sent someone to kill her."  
  
Huntress turned her head to the right, the eyes of the blond woman in the photo trapped her. Once again, she felt herself inside a whirlwind. Confused images danced around her, she saw the blond woman in the picture smiling her, talking to her and hugging her. She felt a great pain in her heart and put a hand on the bed to avoid falling.  
  
"Helena" Barbara tried to be near her, she could see her eyes changing to feral form. "Please, listen to me, you fell from a building and hit your head a few weeks ago, you have amnesia, I can help you to remember."  
  
"What are you doing to me?" Huntress stumbled against the night table, she was blinded from the images. The redhead was in most of them, discussing, talking, in the wheelchair outside on a balcony. She saw her self jumping and fighting in the streets. She could see Harley Quinn too, talking, hugging her. All that hurt her, hurt her so much.  
  
"You are half -meta, you are a crime-fighter." Barbara said in soft voice walking toward her slowly "Joker shot me, I haven't been able to walk since then, I was Batgirl. And since the accident, I'm Oracle, I guide you every night on your patrols." Barbara felt a knot in her throat seeing the pain on Huntress' face "Harley Quinn tricked you, she was your doctor, you trusted her and she betrayed you. She killed Wade." a tear appeared in her eyes. "She hypnotized you and you did many awful things."  
  
"Leave me alone!" Huntress screamed and slipped on the wall.  
  
"Harley Quinn is not your friend, she used you, you attacked me that time and almost killed me, don't let that happen again." Barbara needed to help her remember, this hurt her but she needed to bring her back "Harley Quinn is using you once more, don't let this happen again. Remember that night in Clock Tower? Remember when Clayface told you that he killed your mother?"  
  
Huntress could see her mother lying on the ground, she was next to her, the blood covering her hands, she could smell the blood. She could feel the coldness in her heart, the anger. She felt the anger growing inside her, she hugged her knees. The pain was too much, she hated Harley Quinn, she needed to kill her, she wanted to see her die.  
  
Barbara tried to figure out what was happening in Huntress' mind, she was hugging her knees with a look lost and was trembling. Barbara walked slowly toward her and kneeled at her side. She touched her shoulder. Huntress pushed her hard with her arm and took her by the lapel.  
  
"Leave me alone!" she was blinded for the rage "I'll kill her!"  
  
Barbara felt disconcerted, she look at her feral eyes changing from a light gold to a deep gold.  
  
"Helena wait."  
  
Huntress released her and stood up walking to the door. Barbara tried to stop her but Huntress turned violently and hit her hard in the face, Barbara fell and smashed against a center table. She fell to the floor, stunned. Huntress opened a window and jumped to the garden, in her mind there was only one thought: kill Harley Quinn, and she knew where she was.  
  
Barbara shook her head, she looked for her protégé but she was gone. Suddenly she remembered her last words. She ran to the Hummer.  
  
* * *  
  
Huntress arrived at Arkham, for her it was easy to avoid the guards of the building. The problem was the security area. At night, there was few personnel, three guards, one inside the control room and two at the entrance.  
  
She moved fast and knocked the two policeman at the entrance, she took the keys and opened the control room, she knocked the guy inside before he could turn on the alarm. She froze the images in all the cameras in the place, if the personnel in prison examined the cameras inside the security area, they would just see a frozen image. She looked for the Harley's cell and opened the door from there. She tied the guards and ran to the cell.  
  
* * *  
  
Jean-Paul was arriving at Wayne's manor following the trace of Huntress when he saw the signal had changed, now she was in Arkham, what was she doing in Arkham? He turned the vehicle and drove to the prison. 


	15. Confrotation

"Harley Quinn." Huntress walked inside the room, fists in balls.  
  
"Kyle. dear." The woman turned smiling when she heard the girl. She was inside her crystal cell reading a book in her bed. The cell had two security glasses for better protection, one was the cell and another separated the cell from the visitors.  
  
"You are a lier, you tricked me! You killed my mother."  
  
"I didn't kill your mother. Who told you that?" Harley observed her and crossed her arms.  
  
"Shut up! You killed her!" Huntress shouted hitting the crystal wall.  
  
"Kyle, I didn't kill your mother, or did you see me killing her?"  
  
Huntress kept silence a few seconds before saying: "You killed her."  
  
"No, I helped you remember? You and I talked many hours in my office." Harley smiled, she knew that the girl was still confused and she could manage her easily. "You are my friend, you and I are a team. Why I would lie to you if we are friends. Listen to my voice carefully, remember my voice, focus on it."  
  
"You did it." Huntress said with almost a whisper, her look fixed on Harley Quinn's face.  
  
"Huntress you were disoriented after her death," Harley kneeled in front of her. Her voice was soft, very soft. "I helped you, you talked to me about your nightmares, about your dreams, about our plans to take revenge. You joined me after her death, you wanted revenge, and I promised you would get your revenge. Barbara Gordon tried to prevent you from taking it, she trried to prevent you from taking justice into your hands, and you must do it because of your mother, your mother never would forgive you if you don't take revenge."  
  
"My mother?"  
  
"Your mother asked you to take revenge before she died. I'm going to help you take it, but we need to finish with Barbara Gordon, she tried to stop you."  
  
"Barbara Gordon?" Huntress saw flashes again in front of her. The red head was there, she closed her eyes and shook her head. Her mother lying on the floor bleeding, she was crying.  
  
"She wanted send you to jail, she want stop you. Don't let her you need take revenge first!"  
  
"It hurts." Huntress mumbled stepping back taking her hands to her head.  
  
"Kyle listen to me" Harley said in a firm voice "You need to finish with her, the pain will disappear when you kill her!"  
  
"Huntress!" Oracle's voice was heard, she walked into the cell.  
  
"She is here Kyle" Harley Quinn said, "she is your nightmare, finish it now."  
  
Huntress looked at Oracle, her eyes changed.  
  
"Look inside you, Huntress, and you will know that I told you the truth." Oracle said to her.  
  
"You lied to me!" Huntress walked to her.  
  
"No, I don't lie to you, I never would. I love you."  
  
Huntress hesitated, she didn't know what to do. The flashes were again blinding her. "It hurts." she bent down.  
  
"Huntress, try to remember." Oracle told her.  
  
"This game is over." Jean-Paul said pointing a gun to Oracle from behind her. He had seen her enter Arkham and followed her.  
  
"Welcome to the party Jean-Paul" Harley Queen greeted.  
  
"Jean-Paul?" Oracle looked at him, surprised. "Are you Jean-Paul?"  
  
"Yes Miss Gordon, oh. don't worry, your girl is okay, for now, she is tied in the back of my car, I put her to sleep for a while."  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"I'm the Joker's son."  
  
"Joker's son? This is a madness. He never had children." Oracle turned to look at Harley Quinn. "What is this Harley?"  
  
"Oh, a small detail" Harley Queen laughed "It's his second boy, you met the first one, I don't know what do you did to him, but he failed. Barbara Gordon, this is your last move, I win."  
  
Oracle remembered the child that Huntress had found months ago, a genetic experiment. She moved quickly, she took her escrima sticks and hit the gun and him, he fell to the floor grabbing his hand.  
  
"Damn! Kill her Kyle!" Jean.Paul exclaimed.  
  
"Please Helena, trust me." Oracle said.  
  
Huntress tried to think clearly. Jean-Paul had helped her, he had warned her about that woman.  
  
"You promise me it Kyle, not fail to me." Harley Queen shouted angry "Finish it now!"  
  
Huntress looked at Harley, she couldn't fail her, she couldn't; she had given her word. She looked Oracle and threw her a punch that she avoided.  
  
"Look inside you" Oracle said again.  
  
"I don't have time for this shit!" Huntress punched her in the ribs and gave her a second blow to her face. Oracle stepped back and blocked a kick with her forearm. She turned fast and kicked her. She could read her next movement and grabbed her arm. Huntress was surprised.  
  
"How could you?" she mumbled.  
  
"Easy, I showed you that." Oracle punched her in the face.  
  
Huntress tried to hit her, but she duck and avoided it. Oracle kicked the brunette in the stomach and she bent down. Before she could react, Oracle took her off her feet with her leg and pushed her shoulder with her hand to throw her down. Huntress hit her back hard against the floor. Oracle moved fast and pushed Huntress' face against the floor and got her in an armlock.  
  
"Sorry Huntress." She said.  
  
"Sorry my ass..." Huntress moved her body in a strange way and she freed herself from the grip. She took the red head by the lapel and threw her against the wall.  
  
"Don't piss me off!" she shouted punching her twice. She took her again by the lapel and smashed her against a wall, she fell to the floor and stood up quickly, just in time to see her protégée jumping toward her, feet in front. Oracle took advantage of Huntress' impulse and used it against her. She stepped quickly to the side at the last minute and taking her leg, she threw her over the first crystal wall towards Harley. Huntress didn't have time to avoid the impact and the glass broke.  
  
Oracle looked scared, she didn't want to hurt her. Huntress was a still heap on the floor. The girl was just stunned from the strong blow.  
  
"It's all over Barbara. I win, you are dead, and she is still mine." Jean Paul took off his pistol and shot her. Oracle turned to see him and heard a shoot. She felt an impact in her side. The bullet smashed the transponder breaking it, Barbara groaned and fell down.  
  
Huntress shook her head. "Are you okay?" Jean looked at her and smiled. Huntress nodded and stood up.  
  
The transponder short circuited and Oracle fought to remove it from her waist, it was burning her. She was bleeding, the bullet caught her. She took off the transponder, the wound wasn't deep thanks to the transponder.  
  
"Good, I love it!." Harley laughed and clapped jumping inside her cell. "This is better than a movie."  
  
Jean threw Huntress a gun, she caught it, surprised. "I'm giving you the opportunity to finish her. Just one shot and your nightmares will disappear."  
  
"Huntress. he is lying." Oracle tried to focus her, the wound hurt her. "Helena just. just look inside you."  
  
"Just watch her kill you both." Jean-Paul laughed. "Shoot her Kyle!"  
  
* * *  
  
Dinah woke up slowly, she was inside a car, she was tied. She began to remember what had been happening. She struggled to get free and she used her mental power to do it. She moved fast and jumped out of the car. She was outside Arkham Asylum. A hiding drain was opened. She quickly entered in it.  
  
* * *  
  
Oracle fixed her eyes on the scared girl, she covered her wound with her hand. Huntress tried to press the trigger but something didn't let her.  
  
"Helena. look at me, I'm Barbara." her mentor said. "Please breathe deep, just look inside your heart..."  
  
Huntress saw the red head on the floor bleeding, she saw her mother bleeding on the floor too. She felt again the pain and the anguish inside her. The blood, the red blood shocked her, the annoying flashes appeared again. Her fingers were numbed. She swallowed hard. She needed to do it but she couldn't.  
  
"Kyle! Do it!" Harley Quinn shouted. "Do it and we could be free, as you!"  
  
"Helena, please, you can remember me, I know, I trust you." Oracle looked at her hopefully.  
  
"Finish with it Kyle!" Harley insisted, smiling, "Finish it!"  
  
Huntress was fighting against her self, she was paralyzed. "I can't..." she mumbled "I can't..."  
  
"Don't fuck with me! Shoot her!" Jean-Paul shouted "We are loosing our time, just finish the damn job!"  
  
Huntress lips' trembled. Drops of sweat fell on her eyes. She couldn't move. Huntress saw the red head comforting her; she knew that woman. The darkness disappeared, she blinked. "Oracle?" she asked in a low voice. That woman was her mentor. Her name was Helena, she was right.  
  
"I'll do it" Jean-Paul raised his hand and pointed the red head.  
  
"No!" Huntress try to prevent him from shooting her again and took the gun at the moment that he pulled the trigger, he shot her at point blank rage, she cried in agony and fell down hugging her stomach. She fell next Harley's cell.  
  
"Huntress!!" Oracle screamed seeing her protégée fall to the floor.  
  
"Bad moment to remember." Jean-Paul said to her.  
  
Huntress felt warmth between her fingers and a great pain. All was strange, as if she was waking up from a strange dream, a dark dream, and suddenly it all became black again.  
  
"Game over." He said to her. "You helped me a lot, bad luck, now I need to finish my job alone."  
  
Huntress swallowed hard, she began to sort her memories, he had been using her, taking advantage of her lost of memory. She had been stealing, and she had attacked her friends. Barbara was hurt and she had a wound in her stomach, a bullet wound that hurt like hell.  
  
"Bad, bad" Harley said enjoying the moment, she smiled seeing Huntress bleeding deeply and moving restlessly on the floor. "You are so stupid girl, as always. But no matter, today we will finish it all. What do you think Barbara?"  
  
"You are a bitch!" Barbara mumbled resting on her side on her elbow looking worriedly at Huntress.  
  
"This is a great moment" Harley laughed "Before you die Babsy, you will enjoy my triumph over you, and over your stupid protege. She worked so well for me, but don't worry I promise I'll let her die slowly, bleeding to death."  
  
"Huntress!" Barbara exclaimed, she tried to move but Jean-Paul pointed the gun at her.  
  
Huntress looked over at the blood soaked clothes covering her wound, she was bleeding so much, she tried to stop it with her hands unsuccessfully. The pain was strong.  
  
"Enjoy the next show Huntress, see her die." Jean-Paul turned his back and walked toward Oracle, he stood up in front of her and pointed the gun at her. "Say goodbye Barbara Gordon."  
  
Barbara looked him "You are as insane as Harley Quinn!"  
  
Huntress looked to her side, the another gun was next to her. She moved her arm hesitantly towards it; her hand was coated in blood, her wound must be really serious, but she couldn't worry about that. She took the gun and pointed it at him. She shot him in his hand. He grabbed his wrist. Barbara raised her hand and hit him in his knees and in his head. Before he could figure out what happened, he fell unconscious to the floor.  
  
"No! No!" Harley shouted hitting the glass "That was a cheat!! Stupid bitch!"  
  
Huntress sighed with relief throwing the gun to the floor.  
  
"Stupid bitch!!!" Harley yelled.  
  
"Huntress, are you okay?" Oracle asked.  
  
Huntress didn't respond, she stood up with a great effort and walked hesitantly toward the glass of the cell. Oracle watched her trying to guess what she was doing.  
  
"You are dead!" Harley shouted at Huntress and walked to the crystal wall to see her more closely.  
  
Huntress put her bloodied hand over the glass so as to not fall. She looked at Harley and smiled. "Maybe. but you lose again, Harley. you will never control me or my family."  
  
"Stupid bitch!" Harley kicked the wall "My plan was perfect and you screwed it all!"  
  
"You lose Harley." Huntress felt a sharp stabbing pain in her waist. She bent over.  
  
"Hurt you?" Harley smiled crossing her arms, the girl was bleeding so much.  
  
"No, not much." Huntress answered "not much. as I know I hurt you more knowing that you failed again."  
  
"Stupid bitch!" Harley hated that girl, she wished see her death "We will meet again someday Helena Kyle."  
  
"Any time." Huntress felt her wound throbbling, and her mind blurring, she slid down the glass leaving a trail of blood on the glass. She fell heavily to the floor. She hugged her stomach and groaned lightly.  
  
"See you in hell." Harley Queen laughed.  
  
"Helena!" Barbara shouted. Huntress tilted her head to her left to see Oracle. "How are you?" Barbara dragged toward her  
  
"I don't know." Huntress said almost in a whisper. Barbara had lost the ability to walk but she had many other great qualities, she was one of the better gifts that life had given to her. She loved her. She felt a sharp pain in her stomach and tried to swallow, every time was more difficult. All was over, and she guessed she was too, at least she could saved Oracle, she would be okay. She could keep going. Dinah entered in the room at that moment.  
  
She fixed her gaze on the ceiling, now she didn't feel pain, she just was inside a fog, a heavy fog. She struggled to stay conscious. Vaguely she could see Dinah's face over her. She felt when Dinah cupped the back of her neck with her hand, pulling her closer, she was talking to her but she couldn't hear. She tried to say the blonde's name, and maybe she did it because she smiled at her, but she couldn't hear her own voice, all was too quiet, and she just wanted to sleep. Her eyes began to close, she didn't want to but, her lids were too heavy; she nodded off, she couldn't remain conscious any longer. The darkness surrounded her. 


	16. The end

It was a cloudy day. The cemetery was empty. Barbara was seated in her wheelchair on the sidewalk, next to the Hummer. Her look was lost in the graveyards. It was hard to be there, but she needed be there. She never could say goodbye to her friend, well, she would never have expected that she would be murdered in that way. A tear fell from her eye. She missed her.  
  
Barbara knew now that she was not just a woman in a wheelchair. She had learned to discover that a person in a wheelchair was as normal as anyone. Sometimes she had been asking to her self if she could survive all the hard success in the last months. And she knew she could, all depended on her, no one else. She could keep going, with out limits  
  
She knew she had to continue not just for her sake but also for her protégée, her dear Helena. She had grown in the last year both mentally and physically. Barbara watched the eighteen year old walking slowly up to her in a long black coat. The desire to wear black clothes showed that she really was the daughter of the lord of the night and the thief of darkness, Catwoman. Helena stood in front of her and smiled.  
  
"You ready?" Barbara asked.  
  
"Mom has been gone for two years." The teen said, "Exactly two years ago today."  
  
Barbara took her hand. "I know."  
  
"I can't believe how much my life changed in one second. I felt alone many times, I watched my world crumble around me. I lost the most important part of my life and I'll never be able to recover it."  
  
Helena kept silence for a few seconds. "I never could fight against my pain, my anger and my sadness alone. I was able to deal with it because you were there." Barbara squeezed gently her hand. "I told you once that I couldn't let you in because I just let in the people that I love. I didn't want to love anyone else because it hurts so much when you lose them but." Helena looked at Barbara her eyes brimming with tears. "You are in, you are, and you know it. Maybe I didn't want to accept that but you are in because I love you. I love you so much." Helena hugged Barbara tightly.  
  
"I love you too." She said returning the hug with equal fervor.  
  
"Don't leave me."  
  
"I'll promise I'll try, I will always be there for you."  
  
That day, they opened up totally to each other. That day her bond with Helena turned unbreakable. Barbara took a deep breath and smiled remembering that afternoon. She was in the Med Lab in the Clock Tower, sitting next to the bed where a sleeping Helena was resting, recovering from her wound.  
  
She had lost consciousness when Dinah arrived. With a great deal of effort Dinah got both of them out of Arkham. Helena had been unconscious for more than 24 hours. The brunette opened her eyes slowly, moving her head. She recognized the room, the equipment, the computers, and that awful "beep" sound. Oh God, how she hated that sound, but at this moment it felt as the safest and warmest place in the world. She gazed to her right and found Barbara's smile. She weakly smiled back.  
  
"Are you okay?" Helena mumbled.  
  
"Excellent."  
  
"He shot you."  
  
"Was a glancing blow. The transponder took the brunt of it."  
  
"How many days have I.?" Helena asked.  
  
"Just one, not much."  
  
Helena tried to move but her stomach protested. She gasped in pain.  
  
"Lie still. You were badly injured." Barbara gently pushed her back against the pillow.  
  
"I can barely remember. Jean-Paul told me that he was Joker's son. We fought then he pushed me and." Helena tried to remember but her mind was still foggy. She rubbed the bridge of her nose with her fingers. ".I don't know."  
  
"You fell from a high building. It was a miracle that you survived. The blow to your head resulted in Traumatic Amnesia. He took advantage of your memory loss. Instead he decided not kill you and use you as his partner. Harley gave him all your history."  
  
"Oh, Barbara your life was in danger again because of me."  
  
"Wasn't your fault," Barbara gave her an encouraging smile "I promised to myself that I would never leave you alone. If I had to search the four corners of the world to find you I would do so with my last dying death. Be sure of that."  
  
Helena took her hand and squeezed. "Thanks Barbara. I'll do the same for you."  
  
"Yes, I know" she winked at her "No one else can stand you as I can."  
  
Helena laughed lightly. She pondered her next words before saiding "I helped them... How would you have helped me regain my memory?"  
  
"Medication or a strong impression could restore memory loss. Something triggered in your mind right before you could shoot me. Turns out that Jean- Paul was another genetic experiment of Harley's but a step above Guy. He was programmed to kill me in the first place, but you got caught in the middle when that night u helped Dinah and him. The guys that tried to kidnap him were from the Secret Police. He is in jail now. We let him in Arkham so when the police found him thought he tried to help Harley to escape, and in a way that is true."  
  
Helena stared at the ceiling and took a deep breath "Harley got to me again? I don't remember, I was so confused. I was lost between images and images."  
  
Barbara felt the sadness in her question "No, she didn't. She tried to take the opportunity to try to control you but you knew deep down inside that something was wrong. Your mind was fighting to remember."  
  
"Who shot me?"  
  
"You and Jean-Paul were fighting for the gun, it went off and hit you in the stomach," Barbara carefully took pulled down the blankets so that Helena could examine the bandage. The girl raised her head a few inches to see. "Lucky for you it was a low calibre. The gun he gave to you to kill me used high calibre bullets. The bullet nicked your intestine, but you will be okay. It's time to change your bandage."  
  
"Barbara. Was I at Wayne Manor?" Helena stared at the ceiling again.  
  
"Yes, you were there." Barbara began to remove the bandage.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I don't know. Maybe you was looking for something inside you, and your steps took you there."  
  
"I hate that place."  
  
"The mind is complicated thing Helena." Barbara took a gauze to clean the wound "We never know how it will react."  
  
"Helena! You are awake!" Dinah entered the room smiling "I'm on time?"  
  
Helena saw a dark bruise in Dinah's eye remembering that she had decked her, "Oh Dinah, I'm sorry" she mumbled.  
  
"Don't worry Helena, you didn't know who you were. Barbara!" Dinah admonished her. "You're suppose to be resting, let me do it." Dinah took the bandages away from Barbara's unresisting hands.  
  
"Okay." Barbara wheeled back and moved to the other side of the bed while Dinah cleaned the wound.  
  
"Wow!" Huntress mumbled feeling her wound throbbing "Hurts Barbara."  
  
"I know," Barbara opened a small bottle with pills that were sitting on the night table and gave her a glass of water. "Don't worry, take this."  
  
"Thanks.How many days was I . lost" she swallowed the pills.  
  
"Almost three weeks."  
  
"What?" Helena spat water and coughed.  
  
Dinah held her. "Be careful you will make it worse."  
  
"Three weeks?" Helena rested again her head in the pillow. "Damn! What I did in all that time?"  
  
"Well, you stole the safety box from five casinos." Dinah said. wound  
  
Helena was speachless.  
  
"And two banks..." Dinah counted on her fingers.  
  
"And the guards." Barbara looked over Dinah's work. Helena looked from Barbara to Dinah.  
  
"Oh yea, seven guards knocked out and two with cracked skulls." Dinah finished cleaning the wound and taped it with a gauze.  
  
"Don't forget tell her how much was." Barbara raised an eyebrow watching Dinah's hands moving.  
  
Helena tried to say something, but before she could said a word Dinah interrupted. "Almost 11 million dollars."  
  
"What?" Helena asked scared to Barbara. "Is that true?"  
  
"No" Barbara looked her "It was closer to 13 million."  
  
Helena's face turned pale.  
  
"I'm going to put the bandage" Dinah said "Raise a few your waist please Helena."  
  
"I stole all that money?" Helena obeyed and swallowed hard.  
  
"It is good to have you on our side." Dinah began to bandage her "You are a real pain in the ass as a thief."  
  
"Oh God, I can't believe it." Helena mumbled.  
  
"I still can't figure out you managed it all alone." Dinah said.  
  
"Where is the money?" Helena asked Barbara worried.  
  
"We found it still complete in Jean-Paul's house" Barbara explained "and we gave it back to the police. Reese help us to did that and to clean Harley's cell of your blood before somebody came in. I called him before going to Arkham after you."  
  
"All done Hel." Dinah helped her to put her back again in the mattress.  
  
"Thanks Dinah."  
  
The blond girl covered her again with the blankets and looked Barbara. "Now is your turn."  
  
"Excuse me?" Barbara asked.  
  
"Remember you were shot too and it's time to clean yours. I know that yours wasn't deep but still you should be resting."  
  
"Cool!" Helena laughed.  
  
"Dinah.." Barbara pointed her.  
  
The blond girl crossed her arms and glared her. "You told me just a few minutes, and that was an hour ago."  
  
"Mother Dinah is right" Helena teased Barbara. "Want to rest here with me? We can watch a boring picture, and later look the boring ceiling until the boring day is finished."  
  
"That sounds interesting. "Dinah smiled.  
  
"Dinah I need to monitor Delphi." Barbara said.  
  
"That sounds like an excuse to me." Alfred walked inside the room with a tray with meal. "Time of lunch miss Helena."  
  
"Alfred!" Barbara protested.  
  
"Is it something good? A peanut butter sandwich?" the eyes of Helena shining.  
  
"No, a delicious Jell-O" Alfred gave her the dessert.  
  
"Are you joking?" Helena took the plate and looked the small piece of Jell- O. "I'm hungry."  
  
"May I remind you that your wound is to your stomach and that you need wait until your wound is healed?" Alfred smiled.  
  
Helena glared at Barbara. "Do something. Alfred follows your orders."  
  
"Sorry, you can't eat solid foods for at least the next 4 days." The redhead raised her hand noticing furious look. "Well. Dinah. I guess. you are right, I need rest."  
  
"Yea." Dinah stepped back and took the tray, Helena looked like she was ready to burst. "And I need to tend to your wound."  
  
"Hel rest, I'll see you later." Barbara wheeled outside the room in hurry followed by Dinah.  
  
Helena watched them flee then looked again at the plate in her hands. Alfred was stood in the middle of the room. She took a piece of Jell-O with her fingers and put it in her mouth, tasted it, and smiled to the old man.  
  
"Hey! This tastes like peanut butter!" she said.  
  
"I knew you would like it." Alfred said feeling proud of himself. " It was a difficult flavour to locate."  
  
"You are the best Alfred!" Helena took the spoon and began to eat the Jell- O.  
  
"I know Miss Helena, I know."  
  
* * *  
  
:lush: :lush: BOP, BOP, HURRAY!!!!  
  
I promise my next fic would be better than this one.. 


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